Ex-Mutharika aide Mussa to stand trial on corruption charges

Former presidential advisor on parliamentary affairs Uladi Mussa has been found with a case to answer on corruption related charges.

According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, on 21st October, 2019, the High Court in Lilongwe ordered Mussa to stand trial for granting Malawian Citizenship to Rwandan nationals when he was Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Mussa – who resigned as President Peter Mutharika’s aide in August after he was banned from entering the United States – will answer charges of neglect of official duties and misuse of public office. He

David H. Kwanjana  who is former Senior Assistant Chief Immigrations Officer and now Regional Immigration Officer Center, Burundian national Pascal Rwasa, Malawian national Peter Katasha and Rwandan national Esili Kubwimana have also been found with case to answer in relation to Mussa’s case.

According to the bureau, in 2015 it received a complaint alleging that on 14th May, 2014, the Chief Immigration Officer granted Malawi Citizenship to Rwandan Nationals using a file belonging to another foreign national.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau instituted investigations and established that citizenships were granted to people who were not eligible.

In February 2017, Katasha was arrested for presenting false information that he was related to some foreign nationals who were applying for Malawi citizenship. He was charged with uttering a false document contrary to Section 121 as read with Section 360 of the Penal Code.

On 6th March, 2017, the bureau arrested Mussa and Kwanjana. The two  were charged with one count of neglect of official duties contrary to Section 121 of the Penal Code and misuse of public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.

Rwasa, the Burundian national, was arrested on 9th March, 2017, for presenting false information that he was related to another foreign national who was applying for Malawi citizenship by presenting the person as his dependent when the person was over 18 years old and not related to him. He was charged with uttering a false document contrary to Section 122 as read with Section 360 of the Penal Code.

On 13th March, 2017, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Kubwimana, a Rwandese national for giving false information to Immigration Officers when making applications for business resident permit and Malawi citizenship contrary to Section 122 as read with Section 360 of Penal Code.

Following the court’s ruling that they should stands trial, the five will appear in Court from 25th to 27th November, 2019 for defence.