Malawi Congress Party (MCP) member Ulemu Msungama is in Police custody in the capital Lilongwe for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika.

The arrest came barely hours after reports went viral on the social media that the Police invaded the house of MCP Publicity secretary Jessie Kabwila on the same issue.

According to the leaked Whatsapp message which Faceofmalawi reporter came across, Musngama is allegedly to have said there is need for a regime change.

He however claims the WhatsApp messages were doctored to ensure arbitrary arrests for government critics and opposition MCP members.

Earlier in the day, the Police denied hunting for Kabwila and arresting Msungama on treason Charges.

But the arrested was proved right when MCP President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera visited Kanengo Police Station in Lilongwe to find out why Msungama was detained.

Kabwila is said to be in hiding at the moment as Police are after her.

In the string of WhatsApp messages linked the MCP, they are, for instance, said to have conspired to pursue the Arab Spring-like revolution to overthrow president Mutharika and his government.

They are said to have been infuriated by what they see as the president’s failure to end a stinging food crisis that has seen maize prices triple in just under a few months and inflation exceed over 20%. The kwacha has also sharply fallen.

The MCP officials are said to have agreed to take advantage of the situation to call for a rebellion that would appear to have been sparked by Malawians in diaspora.