The country’s presidential press secretary Gerald Viola has been caught in controversy of power abuse after authoring a letter that asks government departments and agencies to advertise on Galaxy FM Radio which belongs to the late President Bing WA Mutharika, the brother to the current Malawi head of state Peter Mutharika.
This comes after a year the same state house was embroiled in an abuse of power on financial scandal in which the First lady, Gertrude Mutharika’s Beatify Malawi (Beam), cultural grouping Mulhakho wa Alhomwe gotten MK5 million and MK9 million respectively from National Aids Commission (NAC), yet the two institutions are not directly involved on HIV/AIDS activities.
This led to NAC’s loss as Global Fund Principal Recipient (PR) status for the country after the commission last year was involved in a financial scandal when wrongly disbursed grants to undeserving beneficiaries.
The financial mess at NAC prompted Malawi’s CSOs petitioning the two organizations in January early this year to refund the money to the commission which until now nothing of that sort has been complied although some business men tried to rescue Beam by paying back the money through the treasury.
In memo, leaked to the local press dated July 13, 2015 which The Maravi Post has seen this week, was requesting government departments and agencies to make good relationship with Galaxy Radio by offering them adverts in order to bail the station from financial woes.
“To whom, it may concern. This communication serves to plead with your department to make a good relation in business where necessary with Galaxy FM Radio. The station would like to get advert from your whenever you feel adverts on some of your products”, read part of the memo which The Presidential aide Viola authored.
When Viola was contacted on Friday, July 31, 2015 on authenticity of the memo, blamed the Radio Station for altering the letter which he said was written last year when was the Director of Information for the Ministry of Information, Tourism and Culture not as a Presidential Press Secretary.
“Of course, I wrote that letter but it was in June 2014 when I was holding a position of Director of Information. At that time, Galaxy Radio, just like any other media house, came up with their own business profile which we only giving them direction to these government agencies and department to help the station.
“Since that time we haven’t communicated to them because we advised the station to wait until the current financial year. However, the letter which I wrote that time had my signature but the one in question does not have that which has just been edited at Galaxy Radio”, defends Viola.
Viola was also tongue tied when asked if the same kind introductory letter was written for all media houses in Malawi who have been expressed interest to do business with government agencies and departments.
However, Alfred Banda, Galaxy Radio Station Manager denied having seen the leaked memo saying he has been out of office for sometime but notified the meeting arrangement between the radio’s marketing manager and Viola which he promised would come to the press soon to clarify the matter.
But reacting to the development, the country’s human right body, Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR)’s Executive Director, Timothy Mtambo described the written memo as a clear demonstration abuse of power which he asked President Mutharika to fire Viola for conflict of interest.
“Gerald Viola probably had a backing of President Mutharika. If the President didn’t do that, Mutharika should demonstrate that he was not party to the letter in question and not condoning such malpractice by firing Viola.
“Viola having once worked at Galaxy Radio again raises conflict of interest as the Presidential Press Secretary had acted as the Station’s Marketing Manager which isn’t health for the country’s leadership hence the demand for his sacking”, demanded Mtambo.
Gerald Viola until his appointment is a Presidential Press Secretary, once worked as a broadcaster at Malawi Broadcasting Cooperation (MBC) before he joined Galaxy Radio is 2012 when the station was launched whose directors are Duwa and Madalitso, the late President Bingu wa Mutharika’s daughter and Son respectively, who is the brother to the current country’s President Peter Mutharika.
