Chaponda back as Malawi Parliament Leader

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George Chaponda

Under fire Minister of Agriculture irrigation and water development, George Chaponda has been reinstated as leader of the House in Parliament a little over a week he was replaced by Local Government Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa over his controversial suspension as Minister in the on going maizegate saga.

George Chaponda
George Chaponda: Reinstated as Parliament leader.

Chaponda was replaced as leader of the house pending a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling over an injunction Civil Society Organisations sought depriving him of his duties as Minister over his feared involvement in the unscrupulous purchase of maize from Zambia- a scandal christened maizegate.

The matter was brought before Supreme Court Justice, Dunstain Mwaungulu, by the Attorney General so that he could reverse the decision of the High Court.

Delivering his ruling on Friday, 10 February 2017, Mwaungulu agreed with the Attorney General that the High Court erred in its granting of an injunction to the CSOs.

Mwaungulu indicated that the Court overstepped its mandate as the power to hire or fire a minister rests with the President and subsequently the suspension of a minister.

Mwaungulu also indicated that there was no law requiring the suspension of a person if they are under investigation.

Calls have since started for President Mutharika to fire Chaponda whose actions have been labeled as suspicious in a reports submitted by the commission of inquiry set up by Mutharika last month.