Arrest President Mutharika, Karim first-demands Malawi former leader JB
KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-The Democratic Progressive Party-(DPP)-led administration should first arrest President Peter Mutharika and owner of Pioneer Investments Limited, Zameer Karim over organized corruption before dreaming of effecting the much publicized warrant of arrest on her alleged involvement in the plunder of public resources dubbed cashgate.
Malawi’s Former President and People’s Party Leader, Dr. Joyce Banda made the strong statement during her whistle stop in Karonga Nyungwi on Monday describing the arrest talk as senseless.
She wondered why the Mutharika administration has failed to arrest her years after police told the nation they had credible evidence that she took part in draining public resources then.
Talking to a mammoth crowd, the PP leader called on the country’s law enforcement agencies to first arrest President Mutharika and Karim for the MK145 million the latter deposited into the DPP whose sole signatory was the Malawi leader.
“We have someone whose party admitted benefiting from the 145 million kwacha. The DPP then returned the money accepting it was corruptly acquired. So, if there is someone to be arrested then let Mutharika and Zameer Karim be the first ones. Taxpayers’ money has seriously been stolen by the current administration. All these stories have been there in the country’s newspapers. Have you heard anyone being arrested, convicted and sentenced?,” question Banda.
The former president also ordered the arrest of those connected to various “cashgates” that have marred Mutharika’s first term before the country goes to tripartite polls on May 21 this year.
She described as pure mockery and an insult to poor Malawians the government’s repeated assertions that it is committed to ending corruption yet cases of organized fraud and corruption show no signs of abating and strangely no arrests made so far.
Said Banda: “Corruption scandals involving this administration have resulted in the ransacking of about one trillion kwacha according to calculations made for the past five years alone. These include careless mismanagement of public funds; K58 billion at Escom, K54 billion at Office of the President and Cabinet, K53 billion at Immigration Department, K65 billion at ADMARC, K230 billion forensic audit and the famous 16 files and many more. You want to tell me such a government has moral ground talking about ending corruption? My government then arrested 72 people after we uncovered the cashgate and some were convicted and sentenced. Tell me how many have been arrested now over these huge sums of money plundered.”
Dr. Banda, who has repeatedly denied benefiting from the cashgate when in power, said she is not moved by recent outbursts from three cabinet ministers trying to dent her reputation by dragging her in the cashgate scandal.
Speaking during the same function, PP Vice Presidents for North, South and East namely Ralph Mhone, Ephraim Chibvunde and Roy Kachale Banda took turns telling the DPP administration not to cheat itself that JB and Malawi Congress Party leader, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera would stoop so low and engage in primitive politics of intimidation ahead of the elections.
They challenged not to keep quiet and allow the administration suppress critical voices of reason in this democratic dispensation.
Chibvunde further faulted the DPP for claiming that in the past five years it has made drugs in public hospitals available describing such a statement as insensitive and careless coming when the majority of poor citizens are being sent back to buy medicines in private pharmacies.
On April 5 this year, Information Minister, Henry Mussa, Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe and Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Samuel Tembenu held a press briefing in Lilongwe where they said government was still in possession of a warrant of arrest for Dr. Banda and that it would soon effect it.
A day later, the PP hit back vowing never to give in to politics of intimidation and blamed government for lacking seriousness by wasting time making arrest announcement when it knows where the former president disadvantage.tical analysts describe government’s recent action as a deliberate ploy and mere frustration by Banda’s endorsement of Chakwera in the May 21 polls.
They argue the MCP/PP electoral alliance is a major threat to the governing DPP looking at registration figures for the polls in the DPP and MCP strongholds.