… six MPs also facing the chop
Director of Public Declarations of Assets Christopher Tukula has asked President Peter Mutharika to fire Minister of Civic Education Grace Chiumia.
The assets office director wants Chiumia fired for failing to declare her assets during the 2016/2017 financial year.
Tukula has also asked Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya to declare vacant Chiumia’s seat and the seats of five other Members of Parliament (MPs).
The five MPs are George Chaponda, Christopher Mzomera Ngwira, Willard Gwengwe, Henry Mpofu and Davies Kadzinja.
The public officers failed to disclose details of their financial transactions such as salaries, allowances, loans, gifts received and assets of their immediate family.
According to a letter addressed to Speaker of the titled “Request for Declaration of Seats of the National Assembly Vacant”, Tukula says declarations were due for submission between 1 and 30 July, 2017 but the MPs failed to declare before the deadline despite several reminders.
“You may wish to note, Your Honour, that the Honourable Members’ non-compliance with the above quoted provision comes despite several pieces of advice on their legal obligations and reminders, in both writing and personal contacts (phone calls). It is worth noting that the matter was already reported to the Monitoring Committee of Parliament in spirit of Section 13 (b) of the Act.
It adds: “It is against this background that pursuant to Section 18 (1) of the Public Officers (Declaration of Assets, Liabilities and Business Interests Act 2013 as read with Section 63 (i) (e) of the constitution of the Republic of Malawi, I write to seek the services and platforms by declaring the Parliamentary seats held by the above named Honourable Members of the National Assembly vacant with immediate effect, subject to the fulfillment of the necessary parliamentary procedures.”
Tukula told the local media that the he is required to report to authorities when public officers fail to declare assets.
“Under the law we report to the Monitoring Committee. At the last meeting they promised to engage the defaulters directly. The date which the committee set has passed and we are only asking for the Speaker to declare their seats vacant. We are doing this to all public officers; we have all levels of defaulters, Cabinet minister, MPs, PSs, Directors and others,” said Tukula.
