LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima was on Friday, November 25, 2022 arrested on corruption .
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) therefore took him to court in the capital Lilongwe where he is to be formerly charged and also apply for bail.
He has been at the ACB since morning answering questions to do with corruption scandals..
More to come…
By Vincent Gunde
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-One of the country’s social media commentators Chiza Mkandawire has accused Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma for staging fake arrests.
Mkandawire confesses that Malawians overrated Chizuma for the position at ACB that she is incompetence to handle the office diligently.
The accusation comes after ACB on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 arrested former Minister of Finance in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government Mwanamvekha over allegations that he abused his office by arbitrarily approving US$18,374,460 to Ministry of Homeland Security for the unlawful procurement of Uniforms and Equipment for Malawi Prison Service.
Mwanamvekha was charged with abuse of office and neglect of official duties contrary to section 25 B [1] and 121 of the Corrupt Practices Act and Penal Code respectively.
In a dramatic turn of events, Mwanamvekha appeared before the Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe hours after being arrested and was granted bail proving to itself that there is selective justice in the courts, the rich are buying justice while the poor, no one can hear them even crying aloud.
Writing on his Facebook page, Mkandawire dared Chizuma to stop embarrassing herself and her organization, the ACB advising her that when she arrests politicians on corrupt charges, she should not inform the nation because Malawians are all aware that this is the old song, it will end.
Mkandawire adds Malawians know that Chizuma is just playing to the international audience saying she has a weak spine to prosecute high profile corruption suspects and is just ceremonial.
“So please, we are serious people not to keep entertaining your charade of fake arrests,” reads Nyirenda’s writing on the wall.
Currently, Chizuma is in court over leaked audio who is yet to formerly charged.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawians on social media have taken swipe at the country’s graft bursting agency Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for petty arrests without enough evidence against the suspects in courts.
The outburst comes barely hours after ACB issued a public statement of arresting Former Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamveka for allegedly abusing his position in the payment of US$18.3 million to the Homeland Security Ministry for the purchase of uniforms and equipment for the Malawi Prison Service.
ACB alleges that investigations showed that the former finance minister abused his office to approve the payment without verifying the urgency and importance of the equipment.
But Malawians on social media are throwing stones on ACB under Martha Chizuma’s leadership over petty arrests without serious prosecution.
“The arrest of Mwanamveka is a continuation of the same old song, nothing is new here. ACB is just wasting our time and energy paying attention to them,. And it seems the current corrupt leaders will be arrested after government is booted out of leadership. As for now, former corrupt leaders are the ones to face the law ” rebukes George Majamanda.
Andsen Banda chips in, “And when they go to court the state will be asking for more time so that further investigations can be conducted into the matter and yet we are told that the ACB thoroughly conducted its investigations.
“The courts are full with ACB related files but no progress. The ACB should avoid arresting people merely based on their political connections as this may come back to haunt us through legal battles for unlawful arrests”.
Mark Mgulawanthu concurs, “We spend more time on things that are of no any positive results”.
“One of the games that we hate the most is when they arrest each other to give us the impression that they are doing something about corruption when there is nothing being done,” adds Brian Mendulo.
Since Chizuma became ACB Director General no serious corruption case has been concluded but galore of arrests.
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Steven Kayuni has for several times denied Chizuma consent to prosecute corruption cases without enough evidence.
………..Chilima, Kapondamgaga be reinstated
By Falles Kamanga
When President Lazarus Chakwera described Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma’s report “Substandard” on suspected corrupt officers in his Tonse administration, many rebuked and doubted the Man of God who became the Malawi leader in 2020.
Chakwera as a head of state did not want to contravene the work of ACB after Chizuma submitted the report of incriminating 13 public officials who the graft-busting body said it had extensively investigated on corruption suspicions relating to businessperson Zunneth Sattar’s contracts with the Malawi Government.
Consequently, Chakwera on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 announced stopped delegating duties to Vice President Saulos Chilima, suspending State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga and firing Police Chief George Kainja.
Chakwera made a contradiction statement saying despite Chilima being mentioned in the report, there is no any evidence that his deputy indeed received bribes from businessperson.
The president made the decisions on Chilima and Kapondamgaga based Chizuma’s substandard report that indicated that the two were part of the 13 public officials who the graft-busting body said it had extensively investigated on corruption suspicions relating to businessperson Zunneth Sattar’s contracts with the Malawi Government.
He, however said the bureau did not provide any information on what Chilima, Kapondamgaga or Suzi did though it explained that Kainja was recorded discussing kickbacks with Sattar.
The president described Chizuma’s report as substandard that lack concrete evidence that can be proved in the court of law.
“The report states that the Bureau has concluded that he is among the 13 who conducted themselves corruptly in dealing with Mr. Sattar, and despite my appeal for the Bureau to produce a report of its findings about.
I find this decision by the Bureau irregular for four reasons. Firstly, because it dishonours the principle
of separating the powers of the Executive Branch, to which the Bureau reports, from the powers of the
Judiciary and the Legislature, which exist for different functions. Secondly, I find it irregular because I know of no law that authorizes the Bureau to submit reports to the heads of the Legislature or
of the Judiciary for private use,” Chakwera rebukes Chizuma.
He added, “Thirdly, I find it irregular because the Bureau already stated in the report that it cannot release the list of individuals implicated by the report to the public to avoid prejudicing people who may otherwise be innocent, and yet the same Bureau has already gone ahead to release the report to two other public offices that are not bound by law to keep it confidential.
“Fourthly, since the Bureau has said that it fears that reading the report may lead to prejudice, it should
have avoided potentially prejudicing the Chief Justice most of all, considering that the cases under
investigation will be tried before the Courts and may very well end up before the Chief Justice and the
Supreme Court for independent appeals”.
Concludes Chakwera without action on Chizuma’s irregular report, “An investigation of this scope, of this seriousness, and of this sensitivity requires skillful hands and a cool head, to avoid rookie procedural and strategic mistakes that risk giving the corrupt cartels in our land a footing to obstruct and oppose every move we make to defeat them.
“The stakes are way too high for that. What Malawians deserve from the Bureau is substance that
makes a difference in pursuit of justice, not just suspicion that makes the headlines. And towards that
end, you can count on me to continue doing my part until this long battle is won”.
Based on the same report, Chakwera also suspended then chairperson of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) John-Suzi Banda and fired former Police Inspector General George Kainja.
After the report, the ACB has so far arrested Kainja, director of legal services in the Malawi Police Service Mwabi Kalua, Suzi-Banda and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Lands Reyneck Matemba, who is also former ACB chief.
Prosecution of these officers has not started as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has also not given consent due to lack of evidence that can proved in the court of law.
But nearly two months since the Chakwera rebuked Chizima over substandard report and withheld delegated duties from Chilima and interdicted Kapondamgaga, the duo has neither been questioned nor charged.
Many are now questioning the Chakwera’s wisdom of using substandard report to withdraw duties of his vice without getting clears facts including his trusted chief of staff Kapondamgaga.
ACB rushed the report and and if the President acted hastily on those mentioned in the report he said he had direct control over.
Asked why ACB has not moved on Chilima and Kapondamgaga almost two months after their public naming, ACB principal public relations officer Egrita Ndala, in an earlier interview, said the two were under investigation after which a decision would be made.
“You are aware that on 24th June 2022 the bureau arrested former Inspector General of Police Dr. George Kainja and Mwabi Kaluba, the legal officer.
“The prosecution of these matters are awaiting consent from the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions]. The other people you have mentioned are indeed some of the people that we are investigating,” Ndala told Nation Newspaper.
While noting that the bureau had said 13 people were extensively investigated, the President admitted that the report did not provide details of the actual wrongdoing. In fact, Chakwera dubbed the bureau report “substandard”.
Asked if the President rushed to suspend Chilima and Kapondamgaga from their responsibilities, given that the ACB does not seem ready to act, presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda, stressed that the President’s action was based on the ACB report.
“President Chakwera clearly said that ACB’s independent report to him stated that the officers in question were not merely under the bureau’s investigation, but that the investigation into their conduct was extensive enough and its findings clear enough for the bureau to conclude that the officers were culpable.
“It is, therefore, because the bureau said the officers were not merely under investigation as the case was with others whose culpability the bureau had not yet established that the President made the decisions he did regarding those whose culpability the bureau said it had established,” he said.
Kasunda added that only the bureau is in a position to explain the nature of culpability.
“As it is, both the President and Malawians await the bureau to make known the conclusive findings it said it already had in its possession back in June,” he said.
Kasunda said while the President, like other Malawians, would want swift action on the matter, there is nothing that can be done in the interest of protecting the independence of the bureau.
As it has been always observed Chizuma used social media friends cooked and sponsored posts to criminate businessman Sattar, public figures including Chilima, Kapondamgaga for personal vendetta.
Chizuma forgets that corruption is a complex that needs corroboration with the office of Attorney General (AG), DPP, police and general public not misguided social media friends.
Miss Chizuma, how are you going to do with Chilima, Kapondamgaga whose public image in shame over the substandard report that concrete evidence to be proved in court?
Malawians are watching on Chizuma! Taxpayers money are monitoring your (Chizuma) emotional approach to complex matter on your desk.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor
By Lusekero Mhango
KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-Mzuzu Youth Anti-Corruption Movement has called for the independence of the country’s graft bursting Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) when discharging their duties amid concern of political influence.
The call come in the wake of President Lazarus Chakwera and his Vice Saulos Chilima openly trashing ACB Director Martha Chizuma and the bureau for their conduct and report in their investigation of alleged bribery of public officials over the awarding of government contracts by foreigners.
In an Interview Chairperson for the movement Matthews Kajani, said despite they are glad to see that issues of corruption are being taken with the seriousness that it deserves however the stance that the President and Vice have taken could cripple and compromise the investigations that ACB are currently conducting.
Adding, the open dressing down of the bureau might leave an environment where it is not safe and conducive for the bureau to carry out investigations freely without any interference therefore denying Malawian justice to prevail.
“As a movement what we noted was that the State President consistently criticized the ACB Director for her conduct throughout the investigation and the report submitted to him and that has left us disappointed hence we feel that it might compromise the independence of the bureau interns of investigating high profile corruption cases in Malawi,” he said.
However Louis Nkhatha a Social Commentator in the country, said the President had rushed into conclusions and should have waited for the ACB and the Courts take the next course of action over the alleged bribery of high profile officials.
“The sad part about this is that the ACB’s independence has already been compromised and now we are likely to see information and evidence being hidden which defeats the purpose of this vital investigation that the bureau is carrying out.” He explained.
According to the national address delivered on Tuesday 84 high profile officials in the public and private sector including the Civil Society and the media and a long with the country’s vice president have been implicated in the alleged bribery cases of awarding of Government contracts.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s State Vice President Saulos Chilima has finally reacted to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report, which links him to corruption activities of the United Kingdom-based business magnate.
Chilima – in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, June 23, 2022 – vehemently denies the allegations that have been levelled against him, and challenges that he will welcome the opportunity, at an appropriate time, of challenging the said allegations.
Director of Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Pilirani Phiri, who has signed the statement, says the State Vice President finds the manner in which the Bureau has proceeded very troubling.
“The State Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima has taken note of the contents of a report submitted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to the State President of the Republic of Malawi His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, as relayed in a national address made by the State President on Tuesday 21st June 2022.
“The Report apparently makes serious allegations of criminal conduct against the State Vice President although, as correctly observed by the State President in his address, the Report does not present any detail of the alleged criminal conduct,” reads the statement in part.
Phiri adds that the Bureau has, in essence, accused Chilima of a crime without providing any particulars or evidence in support of the crime.
He says the State Vice President further finds it curious that, to date, the Bureau has not confronted him with the said allegations of criminal conduct so that he has the opportunity of making representations on the same.
“Instead, a prejudicial one-sided public narrative has been sustained for months now which has incited public anger against the so called “mentioned” individuals who helplessly watch their lives being ruined as they wait for the opportunity to voice their side of the story. There is a profound sense of justice that is entirely lacking in this approach. The State Vice President wishes to state that while the Bureau’s efforts to fight corruption deserve the unwavering support of all well-meaning Malaŵians, the fight must always be waged within the confines of the law.
“It must not be abused for political or other objectives. One requirement of the law is that every person must be presumed to be innocent until a competent court of law finds them guilty, and further that accusations of criminality should be made within the space of judicial proceedings. This ensures that the fight against corruption remains a noble enterprise and does not descend into a discredited path of political witch-hunting,” continues the statement.
Phiri concludes, “The State Vice President wishes to state that he entered public service to serve the interests of Malawians, and that at no point has he ever been involved in any perverted or criminal scheme as suggested by the Bureau, or at all; nor has he ever deployed the office to which the people of Malawi entrusted him in aid of any perverted or criminal scheme.
“The State Vice President remains confident that any due process initiated to test the scurrilous allegations now made against him would vindicate the hope that Malawians placed in him and looks forward to that occasion.”
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 announced stopped delegating duties to Vice President Saulos Chilima by using substandard report Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma submitted to him.
Chakwera made a contradiction statement saying despite Chilima being mentioned in the report, there is no any evidence that his deputy indeed received bribes from businessperson.
Chakwera said the officers include those from Office of the President and Cabinet, Malawi Police Service, Office of the Vice President, State House, Reserve Bank of Malawi, ACB, Malawi Broadcasting Station and various ministries.
The president however, said apart from Chilima, there is no other member of his cabinet who has been mentioned on the list.
“Four of the 13 hold offices over which I have some constitutional powers, namely the Vice President, the Inspector General of Malawi Police (George Kainja), the Chief of Staff for State Residences [Prince Kapondamgaga] and Chairperson of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority [John Suzi Banda],” said Chakwera.
He, however said the bureau did not provide any information on what Chilima, Kapondamgaga or Suzi did though it explained that Kainja was recorded discussing kickbacks with Sattar.
The president described Chizuma’s report as substandard that lack concrete evidence that can be proved in the court of law.
“The report states that the Bureau has concluded that he is among the 13 who conducted themselves corruptly in dealing with Mr. Sattar, and despite my appeal for the Bureau to produce a report of its findings about.
I find this decision by the Bureau irregular for four reasons. Firstly, because it dishonours the principle
of separating the powers of the Executive Branch, to which the Bureau reports, from the powers of the
Judiciary and the Legislature, which exist for different functions. Secondly, I find it irregular because I know of no law that authorizes the Bureau to submit reports to the heads of the Legislature or
of the Judiciary for private use,” Chakwera rebukes Chizuma.
He added, “Thirdly, I find it irregular because the Bureau already stated in the report that it cannot release the list of individuals implicated by the report to the public to avoid prejudicing people who may otherwise be innocent, and yet the same Bureau has already gone ahead to release the report to two other public offices that are not bound by law to keep it confidential.
“Fourthly, since the Bureau has said that it fears that reading the report may lead to prejudice, it should
have avoided potentially prejudicing the Chief Justice most of all, considering that the cases under
investigation will be tried before the Courts and may very well end up before the Chief Justice and the
Supreme Court for independent appeals”.
Concludes Chakwera without action on Chizuma’s irregular report, “An investigation of this scope, of this seriousness, and of this sensitivity requires skillful hands and a cool head, to avoid rookie procedural and strategic mistakes that risk giving the corrupt cartels in our land a footing to obstruct and oppose every move we make to defeat them.
“The stakes are way too high for that. What Malawians deserve from the Bureau is substance that
makes a difference in pursuit of justice, not just suspicion that makes the headlines. And towards that
end, you can count on me to continue doing my part until this long battle is won”.
By Dorica Mtenje
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s graft-bursting body Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has dismisses social media reports of submitting inquiry summary on Malawi businessman Zuneth Sattar to President Lazarus Chakwera on alleged corruption.
On Thursday, June 16, 2022 pseudo Tweet Malawi reported that ACB Director was expected to submit investigation report on the businessman to President Chakwera, Chief Justice and there after to general public.
ACB Publicist Egrita Mdala told The Maravi Post that such reports are fake arguing that the bureau reveals its work through press statement not social media.
She observed that the country is marred with social media reports that fake that need to be avoided. .
Mdala however warned the general public to treat such information with caution and verify with the bureau.
“I’m not aware of such arrangement. Treat that as fake news,” says Mdala.
President Chakwera gave ACB 21 days to submit comprehensive report regarding to the matter.
By Deus Chikalaza
Soon, Martha Chizuma’s contract as the boss at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will be expiring and debate will ensue if government must let her go or renew.
For someone who always rides on public pity to survive, it is certain that there will be calls all over, especially on social media, for Chizuma to continue heading ACB.
But, in all fairness, is Chizuma really fit to continue leading ACB? In the years she has been there, is there anything ACB can show to the public to give confidence that, indeed, the funding that is going to ACB is living to people’s expectations.
To begin with, we need to applaud the Chakwera administration for increasing funding to ACB and also making the institution independent from executive controls.
Amidst all the woes that have been there surrounding Chizuma, President Chakwera has consistently stood for Chizuma, defending her every time with a goal to ensure that ACB operates independently and efficiently.
This background tells you that Chizuma’s ACB is not just financially sound to executive it’s work but it is also independent from the executive in its operation.
To mean, Chizuma’s ACB has everything it needs to be efficient in its operations of ending corruption in the country.
But against this, has Chizuma really lived to people’s expectation in how she has performed so far?
I don’t think so.
Since she came to ACB, the institution hasn’t concluded even a single case before the courts. There could be so many reasons for that, but, trust me, its a giant minus to her resume.
Further, Chizuma has reduced the demeanour of her office through her continued behaviour of seeking public pity as she shares discreet information with the public.
We saw in that leaked recording. We saw how some people on social media always shared privileged information from ACB. These, insiders tell you, are Chizuma’s strategies to be seen to be working by increasing her visibility and endorsement on social media. But is there anything on the ground? Zero.
Further, Chizuma will go down in history as an ACB boss who came to just settle scores with certain business people in the country.
For instance, Chizuma has put all her energy in pursuing businessperson Zuneth Sattar to the point of breaking oath of her office. That doesn’t sound professional.
In all honesty, there is very little that Chizuma can show on the ground as her achievements. She may have the zeal to fight corruption, but I think she lacks the sophistry that one needs at a complicated institution such as ACB to crux the times and get things done.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor.
By Dorica Mtenje
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Following the breach of integrity of Anti-Corruption Bureau office (ACB), Mass Movement for Economic Revolution has urged President Lazarus Chakwera to fire Martha Chizuma or she has to resign herself.
In an interview with Maravi Post on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, the movement’s National coordinator Redson Munlo said Chizuma breached the oath of office by revealing the secret of ACB contrary to statutes that govern the office.
Munlo said Chizuma has never concluded any corruption case and there is no way the president to back her that she knows her job.
He said Chizuma being a learned lawyer she was supposed to behave professional.
Munlo observes that ACB is a high office that keeps many peoples’ secrets that need to be protected by the one heading it.
The movement is expected to present the letters to the president as well as ACB office for Chizuma to resign herself.
He therefore urged the president to pave way for the interrogated to prove her integrity.
Recently Chizuma attain a court order stopping Police, office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to interrogate her over leaked audio.
