President Lazarus Chakwera says he considers the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report to be an example of substandard work, even though he has used the same report to stop delegating work to Vice President Saulos Chilima and to fire Inspector General of Malawi Police George Kainja
Chakwera requested a report from ACB on its investigations into corruption suspect Zuneth Sattar and the report indicates that 84 individuals allegedly received money from Sattar in 2021, including 13 that the bureau says have been extensively investigated to the point of concluding that they conducted themselves corruptly in dealing with the businessman.
On Kainja, Chakwera noted that the bureau’s report states that it has recordings of telephone conversations between the Inspector General and Sattar, allegedly discussing procurement deals and kickbacks. He said the description of how the IG seems compromised is clear in the report, and so he has decided to remove him from office on that basis.
Chakwera, however, appeared to be displeased that the bureau did not explain what exactly Chilima, Chief of Staff for State Residences Prince Kapondamgaga and Chairperson of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority John Suzi Banda did in relation to the five contracts the Bureau has been investigating.
“Despite my appeal for the Bureau to produce a report of its findings about what these individuals did, the Bureau’s report provides no single piece of information about that, nor has the Bureau interviewed them or given an explanation for the omission of those critical details, which leaves me no more informed about their involvement today than I was three weeks ago,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera also noted that Sattar’s associate kept a record of all the persons who allegedly received money from Sattar from 2008 to 2020 but the bureau’s report does not include any of the names of those found in the 14 ledgers that contain this information.
The Malawi leader accused the bureau of selective pursuit of justice in its enforcement of the law for not providing him with all names of Government officials linked to Sattar since 2008.
He said: “I find it bizarre for the Bureau to leave out the names of those from the first 12 of the 13 years in which the corruption allegedly happened. That kind of selective justice is a clear signal to those who practiced corruption in the past that the seriousness of their crimes against Malawians are based not on the laws they broke or the harm they caused to this country, but on the whims of the Bureau, and that has to change.”
According to Chakwera, due to the absence of some information in the report, he considers the report to be an example of shoddy work.
“But I must say that while I remain confident that the Bureau is critical to this fight, because of the glaring information gaps in its report, including the absence of any information about what the Bureau’s plan of action is, I consider the report to be an example of substandard work. And on a matter as serious and sensitive as this, Malawians deserve better,” Chakwera said.
Some Malawians have since expressed concern that Chakwera may fire ACB Director General Martha Chizuma who he also warned earlier this year after she discussed the Sattar investigations with a friend in a leaked a audio.
Malawi president stops delegating duties to Vice President Chilima
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