National Police spokesperson, Peter Kalaya on Sunday said, their initial investigation established that the statement which circulated on 3 January 2023 is not authentic.

Now Kalaya has disclosed that police are hunting for those behind it, further stressing, it is an offense to author and even share the fake document on social media as outlined in the Penal Code and the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act.

"We saw the letter in circulation. We did our initial investigations and found out that it was fake and false. So people who authored it had their own malicious intentions and as a service we have instituted investigations to arrest and prosecute them," Kalaya said.

Recently, there was another 'fake letter' suggesting that former President Prof. Peter Mutharika was hospitalized. However, later the party' spokesperson, Shadrec Nalomalomba refuted the reports.

Meanwhile, political scientist, Victor Chipofya has described the trend as unfortunate propaganda, urging the police to apprehend the suspects, whose actions have the potential to destabilize the political landscape.

"I know some people would do it in the name of propaganda saying that it is part of politics. But wishing someone the worst like being ill or resigning when it is not true, it's unethical and even immoral. And again, it is even against the law, so I would request the police to track down the people doing this," he said.

If found, Kalaya has warned that the suspects are likely to face crimes including defamation, cyber harassment, cyber stalking and offensive communication.