Chaponda still under investigation – ACB

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it is still investigating former minister of agriculture and water development George Chaponda after money was found at his home.

Last month ACB found K124,500,000, US$57,500, R22,370 all in cash and other currencies in negligible amounts at Chaponda’s house a development which led to his sacking as minister of agriculture.

The bureau has since asked Malawians to be patient but three weeks after the money was found, Chaponda is yet to be charged.

However in an interview with Malawi24, Senior Public Relations Officer of the ACB Egrita Ndala said investigations are continuing and any charges against Chaponda will be known after the investigations are over.

In another development, the ACB has said interim president of the People’s Party Uladi Mussa and David Kwanjana who are answering charges of abuse of office will appear before court on a date to be set by the court.

The bureau is accusing Mussa and three others of granting Malawi citizenship to 50 foreigners without following due process of the law and they are also being accused of issuing citizenship illegally to Burundians, Rwandans, Tanzanians and Ugandans.

Recently, Mussa surrendered himself at ACB offices in Lilongwe in connection with a corruption and abuse of office case which occurred when he was minister of home affairs.

Ndala said ACB had been looking for Uladi Mussa on 2 March, 2017 but the bureau failed to get hold of him until the PP leader handed himself in.

Mussa and Kwanjana were taken to court last week where they were charged with neglect of duty contrary to section 121 of the penal code and abuse of office contrary to section 25B(1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.

The two are currently on bail after they produced K500,000 cash and two sureties each bonded at K500,000 not cash to the court.

They were also ordered to report to the ACB once every fortnight on Wednesdays and to surrender travel documents to the bureau.