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More serious doubts about the ‘poisoning’ of Canon Rodney Hunter

Posted Friday 4^th May 2007

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION reports that in the U.K. Church Times of Friday 4th May Andrew Brown columnist, writes an article entitled ‘An exercise in self-deception’ the last paragraphs of which concern the ongoing press coverage of the alleged ‘poisoning’ of the late Canon Rodney Hunter in Nkhotakota, Diocese of Lake Malawi.

‘LOATHSOME, frightening, and contemptible — but at least the villains in these stories (previous accounts in the article) can say that they have never — any of them — been members of the Modern Churchpeople’s Union. The Times reported a story that would have been sensational in any other paper: an English priest in Malawi was murdered by liberals for his opposition to their liberal agenda.

“A British missionary was fatally poisoned after helping to prevent a London vicar from becoming a bishop in Central Africa. Relatives of Canon Rodney Hunter, 73, believe that his food was contaminated by supporters of the Revd Nicholas Henderson in a battle between the liberal and conservative wings of the Anglican Church.”

The only thing wrong with this story is that there is no evidence that Canon Hunter was poisoned by anyone. The names of the drugs supposedly used were all published on Ruth Gledhill’s blog, but she never bothered to Google them, which would have told her in about two minutes that they were all prescription medicines. One is for allergies, one is an antibiotic, and one is a powerful tranquilliser, which Canon Hunter might have needed because — as Ruth had been told — he was also suffering from cancer.

“Oh dear,” she said when I told her this.

The post naming the supposed poisons on her blog has been removed - they are Metronidazole, Phenothiazine and Promethazine Hydrochloride. At the time of writing, her newspaper story suggesting as fact that ‘Canon Hunter was poisoned by liberals’ has not been corrected. Ruth tells me that her fellow author on the story had found out that the “poisons” were medicines, but “forgot to tell her”.

It was Andrew Brown who first blew the whistle on the recent U.K. Times account by journalist Ruth Gledhill that erroneously described prescription pharmaceutical drugs as ‘poisons’.

The Gledhill weblog site http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/ has since issued a clarification, which might be a heavily disguised apology, but discussion about this mischievous piece of journalism continues relentlessly:

http://www.thewormbook.com/helmintholog/archives/2007/05/02/i_am_an_idiot.html

- and linked into the Ruth Gledhill site we can now observe the ensuing dialogue which will be self explanatory.

Ruth Gledhill quoting the Church Times extract above: ‘The only thing wrong with this story is that there is no evidence that Canon Hunter was poisoned by anyone.’ In my defence, I cite the statement from a relative that the medical report had found evidence of poison. Also, two people, include his cook, were arrested and charged with murder last December. Surely that could not have happened with ‘no evidence’? N.B. the only ‘evidence’ was the word of suspended Dean Denis Kayamba

Andrew Brown replies: Posted on May 3, 2007 1:22 PM

‘I’ll leave it to people more familiar with Malawi than I am to comment here — but I asked a couple of experienced Africa hands, and their view was that the police arrested lots of people without their being guilty of anything much………………………………..….Journalists (for example) in Malawi have been arrested on a variety of charges, including sedition, and publishing false news likely to cause public fear or alarm.

‘In July 2000 armed officers of Malawi’s Police Mobile Force threatened to shoot Pushpa Jamieson, a reporter for The Chronicle weekly newspaper, and confiscated her camera. She had been taking photographs of clashes between riot police and hundreds of people who could not be accommodated in a stadium for Independence Day celebrations. Even newspaper vendors in Malawi have been subject to police harassment. In May 2001 police officers led by a police public relations officer arrested vendor Austin Machewere in Lilongwe, seized copies of the Dispatch newspaper and charged him with creating public fear or alarm before releasing him on bail to await trial.’

‘A police force which treats journalists like that is unlikely to treat civilians any better. So far as I can see, the men arrested have just been picked up because the Cathedral Dean (the suspended Rev’d Dennis Kayamba) claims someone has been poisoned.’

- ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that this is a highly plausible explanation as it is widely rumoured that The Rev’d Denis Kayamba, the chief and most vocal accuser is related to the chief of police in Nkhotakota.

Certainly, the Nkhotakota police in the past have been less than even handed and what readers must remember is, that, as described above about journalists, Malawi is no London, England or United States, it is a country where the police cannot be challenged and effectively can put anyone into prison they wish, indefinitely. Hunter’s poor, hapless cook, for example, is still in prison and has no-one to speak for him. It is ironic that he as a principal ‘suspect’ was actually always a loyal and faithful supporter of his employer and only livelihood. The Rev’d Dennis Kayamba may wish to consider the consequences of his accusations.

In short the so-called ‘murder’ of Canon Hunter is beginning to look more and more like a trumped up case. Serious questions must also be asked about the competency of the pathologist and most especially about his impartiality after the leaking of inaccurate information – how can he claim ‘poisoning’ by what turn out to be prescription drugs when he hasn’t finished (after four months) his tests – why did he describe prescription drugs as poisons - why has he leaked the preliminary information so that it has found its way into the hands of an opportunistic press – and why does the principal advocate of foul play, the Rev’d Dennis Kayamba appear to have privileged access to the pathologist?

The truth of the matter is that as those of you who know Nkhotakota will testify, it’s a very small place and impartiality does not sit comfortably with nepotism.

Further, Andrew Brown goes on, quoting from an Amnesty International Report http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR030042002?open&of=ENG-MWI

‘In Malawi, according to the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Section 176), evidence can be admitted as long as it is relevant, including where there are allegations that it has not been freely and voluntarily obtained. Thus the law in Malawi seems to go beyond the admissibility of derivative evidence from unlawfully obtained confessions to the admissibility of the confession itself, if the court is satisfied that the confessions contents are materially true.

If the law says — as this does that the police can get convictions on the basis of confessions without anyone caring quite how these were extracted, then it’s obvious that the police will “clear up” lots of alleged crimes by simply arresting someone and mistreating them until they confess. The death rate in Malawian prisons is quite startling.’

The intriguingly entitled Raspberry Rabbit comes in at this point:

Raspberry Rabbit on May 3, 2007 2:01 PM

‘I’m glad everybody likes each other here so I hope I’m not going to be accused of throwing a turd into a perfectly pleasant cauldron of soup here but I am still curious about the motivation of George Conger from the Living Church and Ruth Gledhill from the Times in pumping this story. They are, it appears, the only journalists who have been riding this particular hobby-horse. With a few exceptions it is their articles, which are being reprinted in the African newspapers. Both journalists have been, wittingly or unwittingly, part of the negative morale machine.

- and Ruth Gledhill then replies:

‘Hi, thank you for coming back on this rr. My motivation in writing this story? As I told my colleagues on the day it appeared, ‘it is a shame a priest has to get murdered for me to get a story in the paper.’ It is the same as my motivation in writing any story: propagating news, trying to earn a living and so on. ……………………………………..Ref Malawi, none can deny there is a story in this situation. What the story is, time will tell. All developments are of interest though. The development that sparked the latest story was the pathology report. I can promise you, if Nick Henderson ever does get enthroned in Malawi, we will give that acres of space. We might even go out there for the event. That would be a major news story.’

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that with two stops and flying economy class Kenya Airlines will get Ruth Gledhill to Malawi and back for £555 and if she flies the flag and goes by British Airways it will cost her £1204. We observe that it would be prudent for her to make enquiries of her accountancy department because the people of the Diocese of Lake Malawi are quite determined that they will have their elected Bishop, the Rev’d Nicholas Henderson.

Over the past eighteen months since the election by overwhelming majority of their chosen Bishop, they have stood up against:

· a contrived and improperly conducted Court of Confirmation

· the Archbishop of the Province

· the Provincial bench of Bishops

· an imposed Zambian Bishop (seen off within a few weeks)

· interference from an English suffragan Bishop(the Rt Revd John Broadhurst, Bishop of Fulham)

· a hostile and sometimes irresponsible press

· vitriolic condemnation and character assassination of their chosen Bishop by (mostly American) online websites

· a constant stream of misinformation in a pliable press from the Rev’d Denis Kayamba

· a claimed poisoning

· continued attempts to force a new elections and a new Synod to invalidate the original

It’s early days yet and no doubt more will come but anyone who knows Africa and Africans will be aware that they will not give up their cause when they perceive that natural justice has been denied. They know their Bishop – elect, they have spoken with him at length and in public, they do not believe that he is of ‘unsound faith’ or anything other than the pastoral leader they wish for. They are aware that hostile, contrived, outside and foreign interference with its own agenda that hardly understands Africa has been pitted against them. They feel like David against Goliath.

Their Christian faith is exemplary and they regularly (even in their poverty) fast and pray before any action to support their struggles – it is time that their detractors were humbled and in awe of such extraordinary people of God.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION applauds the people of the Diocese of Lake Malawi in their struggle and hopes and prays that in due course some commonsense amongst those with ‘authority’ will emerge that could resolve the situation easily in a matter of hours and over cup of Malawian Chombe tea.*

* There’s a good selection of Malawian made items for sale at the Diocesan website www.lakemalawi.anglican.org