Vice President Saulos Chilima who has been accused of receiving bribes says now is the time for Malawi to remove presidential immunity from criminal prosecution.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe today, Chilima said removal of the president’s immunity was one of the issues the Tonse Alliance promised to implement once voted in power.
Chilima leads the UTM and in 2020 the party joined forces with President’s Lazarus Malawi Congress Party to form the Tonse Alliance.
Over a week ago, Chakwera withheld delegated duties to Chilima who has been named in two reports as having benefited from corrupt dealings with Zuneth Sattar. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is currently investigating Chilima and there are expectations that he will be arrested.
Today, Chilima appeared to question why the Tonse Alliance is yet to take a bill to Parliament to amend of the section 91(2) of the Constitution of Malawi which, he argues, provides undue protection to the occupant of the office of the President of this country.
He said: “While we salute the fact that the Vice President of this country can, and must be investigated or prosecuted for criminal wrongdoing, it is completely misplaced that Presidents of this country have a veil of constitutional protection from criminal prosecution through immunity while in office.
“One of the concrete goals of the Tonse Alliance, which has yet to be attended to, was to remove presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. This promise was pronounced under the campaign agenda of the Alliance. This is the time to amend the Constitution of Malawi in order to remove the immunity which Presidents of this country enjoy under section 91(2) of the Constitution so that everyone in Malawi can be prosecuted for criminal wrongdoing.”
Chilima’s demand for the president’s immunity to be removed has raised question as to whether the vice president believes Chakwera was also involved in corruption.
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Totally shows that this country is for the betterment of the politicians not the citizens of Malawi besides you are using VAT to transact your own businesses for your own benefits living common people suffering. What inhuman