The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under the leadership of Professor Peter Mutharika made significant strides in developing Malawi from 2014 to 2019.
Despite facing numerous challenges, the DPP government implemented various projects aimed at improving the lives of Malawians.
Infrastructure Development
One of the key areas of focus for the DPP government was infrastructure development.
The government invested heavily in road construction, with notable projects including the Mzuzu/Nkhatabay Road, Karonga/Songwe Road, and Rumphi/Hewe/Nyika/Chitipa Road. These roads have improved connectivity and facilitated trade between different regions of the country.
In addition to road construction, the DPP government also invested in the development of water and sanitation infrastructure.
The Likoma Water Project, Nkhatabay Water and Sanitation Project, and Karonga Water Project are just a few examples of the initiatives undertaken to improve access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
Education and Healthcare
The DPP government also prioritized education and healthcare.
The construction of the Mzuzu University Library, Mzuzu Dunduzu Campus, and Mzuzu University Nurses Hostel are testaments to the government’s commitment to improving access to quality education.
In the healthcare sector, the government invested in the construction of various health facilities, including the Rumphi Teacher Training College and the Henga/Phoka Water Project.
Rural Electrification
The DPP government also made significant progress in rural electrification, with various projects aimed at increasing access to electricity in rural areas. The Rural Electrification Project in Nkhatabay, Rumphi, and Karonga are just a few examples of the initiatives undertaken to improve access to electricity.
Other Developments
Other notable developments under the DPP government include the construction of the New Nkhatabay Market and Bus Terminal, the Karonga Stadium, and the Ngala Community College.
While the DPP government under Professor Peter Mutharika made significant progress in developing Malawi, there is still much work to be done.
The government’s efforts to improve infrastructure, education, healthcare, and rural electrification have laid a solid foundation for future development.
As Malawi continues to grow and develop, it is essential to recognize the progress made under the DPP government and build upon these achievements.
With continued investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and rural electrification, Malawi can continue to move forward and achieve its development goals.
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, former President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) appeared on Times TV, where he engaged in a significant dialogue with host Cathy Maulidi and journalist Brian Banda. The conversation delved into the political upheaval of 2019-2020, highlighting themes of regret, forgiveness, and the current political climate in Malawi.
The interview featured Steven Simfukwe, who attended the DPP Mega Rally at Katoto Freedom Park. He openly expressed his regret for participating in the demonstrations during the tumultuous period, admitting that he did not fully grasp the implications of his actions at the time. When Maulidi asked APM if he had forgiven Simfukwe and others involved in the protests, Mutharika affirmed his forgiveness, suggesting a desire for reconciliation.
Brian Banda steered the conversation towards the future, inquiring whether APM was open to working with Timothy Mtambo, now the Vice President of AFORD. Banda referenced an interview where Mtambo expressed willingness to collaborate with the DPP if an electoral alliance were proposed.
Mutharika responded critically, stating that the actions taken by Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Richard Sembereka, and the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) were “totally wrong and unacceptable.” He emphasized that their actions had severely harmed the nation without justification, leaving a lasting impact on its political landscape.
During the interview, APM expressed relief that Mtambo now recognizes the errors of his ways. However, he insisted that such regrets should be accompanied by a sense of shame. He noted the emotional toll of witnessing the chaos caused by the protests, which he deemed as disproportionate to the grievances of that time.
Mutharika further criticized the current Tonse government, questioning why those who protested in 2019-2020 remain silent about the government’s mismanagement. He challenged civil society organizations and religious leaders, asking if they were now unable to speak out against the issues under the current administration. “Are their mouths full of buns?” he provocatively queried, suggesting a hypocrisy in their silence.
When pressed about the possibility of working with Mtambo in the future, APM remained non-committal, stating that such discussions are speculative until an official apology is extended to him. He lamented the painful memories of the protests and the destruction they brought to the country.
The interview underscored APM’s complex feelings regarding past conflicts and the current political environment, illustrating the ongoing struggle for healing and accountability in Malawi’s political sphere. As the nation grapples with its history, APM’s reflections serve as a reminder of the deep scars left by past actions and the cautious path toward potential reconciliation.
Days after removing Grezelder Jeffrey as Secretary General, former President Peter Mutharika has today removed Kondwani Nankhumwa as Vice President for the Southern region in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
In a statement, Former President Peter Mutharika has since said Nankhumwa will now be a Presidential Advisor.
The announcements were shared on the parties Facebook page and Shadric Namalomba who speaks for Mutharika has confirmed the development as well
According to reporting, about 44 Members of Parliament under the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) say they will not support any candidate who will contest against Peter Mutharika at the party’s elective conference which will be held in July next year.
Peter Mutharika who is seen as a father head to his supporters, sometimes referring to themselves as Ana Adadi (Children of the Father) has loyal supporters that are unwilling to ignore his age (82 years) and want him to compete for the Presidency in 2025.
A representative of the MPs Victor Musowa made the remarks after endorsing Mutharika for the 2025 polls during a meeting held at Page House in Mangochi on Wednesday afternoon.
Musowa says the MPs have agreed to throw their weight behind Mutharika because he is what people at the grassroots want.
“As MPs we will campaign for Mutharika and we will not support any other candidate because it is only Mutharika who is trusted by Malawians at the moment,” he says.
Musowa says following the meeting today, they are hopeful that Mutharika will make an announcement very soon regarding his candidature.
APM Education and Honors
Professor A. Peter Mutharika retired from the faculty effective July 1, 2011 as Charles Nagel Professor of International & Comparative Law Emeritus from University of Washington in St Louise.. Although no longer affiliated with the faculty, he is an expert on international economic law, international law, and comparative constitutional law. He was elected president of Malawi in May 2014.
He previously served as an elected member of the Malawi Parliament and as the Malawi Cabinet as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Mutharika has also served as a member of the Panel of Arbitrators and Panel of Conciliators for the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and is a past recipient of the International Jurist Award. He is the author of several books on international law and foreign investment security and has taught or conducted research in Africa, Canada, Europe, and throughout the United States on such issues as political abuses in pre-democratic Malawi, the role of the United Nations in African peace management, and the role of international law in the 21st century from an African perspective. A participant in the U.N. World Summit, he was a Malawi delegate to the United Nations General Assembly 60th Session.
In 2020, Malawi was a country on the rise, and its democracy was a beacon of hope. The year before, relentless street protests followed the results of a general election that saw the incumbent, Peter Mutharika, declared the winner. The vote, widely perceived to be rigged, was contested by the opposition. In the end, corrupted constitutional court judges ruled to reject the election outcome. The presidential elections were held again, votes recast and the Tonse Alliance – a union of the two main opposition parties – emerged victorious. The leaders, Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party and Saulos Chilima of the United Transformation Movement, vowed to rid the country of its endemic corruption. Malawi’s false dawn They also promised to create one million jobs. It was exactly what a citizenry struggling to get any form of employment wanted to hear. And the international community duly rewarded the
‘We must clear the rubble of impunity, for it has left our governance institutions in ruins,’ Chakwera said at his inauguration. Chilima took the vice presidency. Euphoria akin to a revolution swept the country. The Economist magazine named Malawi country of the year. The five judges who had presided over the historic election case were awarded the 2020 Chatham House Prize for setting an example ‘for their peers across the world by upholding the centrality of the rule of law and separation of powers’. ‘This is a historic moment for democratic governance,’ said Robin Niblett, then director of Chatham House. ‘The ruling by Malawi’s constitutional court judges is not only crucial for rebuilding the confidence of Malawi’s citizens in their institutions, but also for upholding standards of democracy more widely across the African continent.’ But the applause came too early. Corruption, once again, has dogged the new government. A recent survey carried out by Afrobarometer found that two-thirds of Malawians believe corruption is getting worse under the Tonse Alliance. The president has responded to the demand for more action by vowing to remove from office all individuals found to be involved in corruption while funnelling more resources into institutions mandated with fighting graft. Now a major scandal is turning into an existential threat to the alliance itself. In a joint investigation, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau have linked a Malawi-born British businessman to a procurement scandal over public contracts. Zuneth Sattar was arrested in October 2021 by the NCA on charges of corruption relating to three public contracts worth $150 million, awarded between 2019 and 2021, involving the supply of armoured personnel carriers, food rations and water cannons. Sattar strongly denies any wrongdoing, and while he has yet to be formally charged with any offence, it is expected to
The UK’s National Crime Agency and Malawi’s AntiCorruption Bureau have linked a Malawi-born British businessman to a procurement scandal
Among those alleged to have had a corrupt relationship with Sattar are Chilima, the president’s chief of staff Prince Kapondamgaga, head of the police service George Kainja, and senior officials in the police, military and procurement agencies. The collapse of the Tonse Alliance Following these allegations, President Chakwera stripped his deputy of all delegated powers – the most he can do for an official who cannot be removed constitutionally. The police chief has been fired, and the president’s chief of staff suspended. In a televised speech, Chilima accused his own administration of scapegoating failures to deliver campaign pledges and of failing to honour terms of agreement on the creation of the Tonse Alliance government. ‘We should not allow history to be changed because someone or some people have now just realized that power which should be shared has become sweeter and begin to display as much excitement as a two-year-old at the sight of candy,’ Chilima said. Regardless of the Tonse Alliance’s fate, its leaders would struggle to attract support at the next election. On top of the corruption allegations, the already fragile economy has been battered by the pandemic and escalating commodity prices worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the end of last year, protests have broken out over the rising cost of living. ‘The Tonse Alliance administration made a number of promises premised on the economic situation at the material time. Then came the devaluation of the kwacha, the war in Ukraine, the two cyclones and skyrocketing inflationary pressures both within and outside the country. All these mean that the promises can no longer be fulfilled in full,’ says Betchani Tchereni, an economist at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.
Saulos Chilima and Lazarus CHakwera, When MCP needed UTM
The leaders of the coalition thought once they got power, the job was done. But this isn’t what the electorate had in mind 7/12/23, 4:12 PM Malawi, the land of broken promises | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2022-08/malawi-land-broken-promises 4/6 He says that while commodity prices have adjusted upwards, revenue generation has not improved. Traditional western donors have not thrown an economic life jacket as expected. ‘Potential developer partners are also going through economic pressures themselves, and the IMF is demanding certain conditionalities before the ECF [Extended Credit Facility] can be approved and have stabilization funds released,’ he added. While the government cannot be solely blamed for economic instability, it has also mismanaged public expectations and misunderstood the aspirations of the electorate, according to Danwood Chirwa, a law professor at Cape Town University in South Africa and a critic of the administration. ‘The leaders of the coalition thought and still think that a change of government was all that the people wanted,’ he says. ‘Once they got the power, the job was done. But this isn’t what the electorate had in mind. A complete overhaul of the practice of governance and improving the delivery of public services were the main concerns in the minds of voters.’ New government, same bad habits He argues that instead of delivering on the aspirations of the people, the new government delivered ‘the same pattern of bad governance, the blossoming of corruption networks, the use of state resources to protect those accused of corruption, the continuation of nepotism, wasteful expenditure, lack of vision and planning, lack of interest in action, and more importantly, increased interest in appearances and false promises and self-promotion.’ Gift Trapence, chairperson of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, a civil society body that organized the post-2019 election protests, agrees. ‘The reason why Malawians voted the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party]out of government was mainly because of the party’s arrogance and nepotistic tendencies. However, the new government is entrenching itself with the same culture. For example, public appointments are skewed towards the Tonse Alliance’s political base of the central region at the expense of those from southern and northern regions,’ says Trapence.
The government argues that the accusations are exaggerated but accepts that there’s room for improvement. ‘We could have done better if most of the factors were equal. Covid-19, disasters motivated by climatic changes, the effects of the Ukraine/Russia war have not assisted our 7/12/23, 4:12 PM Malawi, the land of broken promises | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2022-08/malawi-land-broken-promises 5/6 Related content THE WORLD TODAY Africa: Independent judiciaries can defend rights 2 JUNE 2023 — 2 MINUTE READ EXPERT COMMENT Africa in 2023: Continuing political and economic volatility 9 JANUARY 2023 — 3 MINUTE READ THE WORLD TODAY Issues to watch in 2023 2 DECEMBER 2022 — 3 MINUTE READ Chatham House is a world-leading policy institute with a mission to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world. course,’ says Gospel Kazako, Malawi’s information minister and official government spokesperson. He said the administration has not backtracked on ensuring rule of law, however. ‘Organized syndicates of crime and corruption needed more time for us to thaw them and crack them. We are not on top of issues. All this is being driven by the dictates of the rule of law that plays a central role. We believe it is through strict compliance to the rule of law that we will multiply our achievements as a government,’ he said. The next general elections will take place in 2025, when the president and ruling coalition will have to convince the electorate that they deserve another chance
In 2014 Opposition candidate Peter Mutharika was declared the winner of Malawi’s disputed presidential election.
The leader of the Democratic Progressive Party obtained 36.4% of the vote, the electoral commission announced.
A protester died earlier after police dispersed an angry crowd demanding a recount of the ballot.
Outgoing president Joyce Banda had alleged the vote was rigged. However, to her credit she did not take the bait from Lazarus Chakwera to contest the election.
‘Law is clear’
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) had asked for a 30-day extension to declare the results so that a recount could be conducted.
However, the High Court refused to delay the release of results and ordered the commission to make its announcement on Friday.
“The law is clear, there is no extension,” judge Kenyatta Nyirenda said.
Peter Mutharika is the brother of the late President Bingu wa Mutharika and had served as his foreign minister.
Former preacher Lazarus Chakwera came second with 27.8% of the vote. He represented the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994.
Mrs Banda, who came to power after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika two years ago, was third with 20.2% of the vote.
Her administration had been hit by a corruption scandal dubbed “cashgate”, which led donors to cut aid.
Fast Forward ….
Malawi’s Constitutional Court annulled the May 2019 presidential vote that declared Peter Mutharika a winner and ordered a re-run after an application from opposition parties citing irregularities.
Mutharika, Malawi president since 2014, won the election with a 38.57% share of the vote, with opposition party leader Lazarus Chakwera getting 35.41% and Deputy President Saulos Chilima, who formed his own party, had 20.24% in the final tally.
The electoral commission declared Mutharika the winner despite complaints of irregularities including results sheets with sections blotted out or altered with correction fluid.
Mutharika had pledged to crack down on corruption and revive the economy in his second five-year term.
But Chakwera, the president’s main rival, and Chilima rejected the results and filed a petition to the High Court asking it to nullify the results.
In a unanimous decision, a panel of five judges ordered that a new presidential vote be held within 150 days.
“It is almost impossible to have an election free of irregularities,” said Justice Healey Potani, who headed the panel. “However, in the present matter our finding is that the anomalies and irregularities have been so widespread, systematic and grave such that the integrity of the result was seriously compromised and can’t be trusted as the will of voters of the May 21, 2019, election.”
In a landmark ruling for the country, which is now looking so corrupt, the court described the conduct of the electoral commission as “very lacking and demonstrated incompetence.”
The status in the presidency would revert to before the elections, Potani said, which meant Chilima would be reinstated as vice president.
The court also directed Parliament to consider recalling the current electoral body, which is headed by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Jane Ansah, to “ensure smooth conduct of fresh elections.”
The streets in Lilongwe and the commercial capital Blantyre were unusually quiet ahead of the ruling, and many businesses were shut, fearing violence, and looting from supporters of the losing side.
Security forces were out on the streets in large numbers, and the judges delivering the verdict were flown in on a military plane and arrived at the venue in armored vehicles.
Former law professor Mutharika, 79, oversaw infrastructure improvements and a slowdown in inflation in his first five-year term, but critics accuse him of cronyism and failing to tackle graft.
The way Chilima and Chakwera manipulated the courts, Peter Mutharika deserves another chance to challenge them in 2025.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-In a dramatic turn of events the former Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) this distanced his government from words going around that his government had cleared one Abdul Karim Batatawala from matters related to corruption and money laundering.
Speaking through his spokesperson Linda Salanjira said that the matter came on his desk but advised the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Fiscal Police, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and Immigration to desist from toying around with the idea of clear the business man and his companies African Commercial Agencies and Reliance Trading Company.
Karim is said reportedly summoned by the then Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale and the Director General of ACB then Lucas Kondowe to go through the files of the two companies and the many cases involving the owner Batawalala.
He went further that his issues were enshrined in the hand over notes of former president Dr Bakili Muluzi when handing over power to late Dr Bingu wa Mutharika.
From then on-wards his cases were never cleared nor attended to because there was a lot of mess which hinged on criminality.
Salanjira told disclosed further that the former president does not want his name to be marred with corruption cases.
She added that Mutharika is even ready to take the matter to court to clear his name.
“We are not ready to be thrown into the mud by a business person who have such cases,” said Linda Salanjira.
On his part Elvis Thodi the former immigration boss said that no such clearance was issued and would not like to get involved in corruption matters.
Batatawala Lido Karim is now under investigations after the current Attorney General Dr Chikosa Sulungwe three weeks ago directed ACB, MRA and fiscal Police to thoroughly investigate the activities bordering on corruption and money laundering. In the meantime, the Investigations are at a very advanced stage.
On his part the DPP spokesperson Brown James Mpingajira said that the party does not want to be associated with corrupt deeds and issues involving Batatawala have been there from the days of UDF.
According to a letter sent to ACB, Silungwe says the contracts were not duly approved by the Secretary to the Treasury and that officers at the department over-committed the government to huge sums of money which was not appropriated by the National Assembly.
“We note that all the said contracts bear the same contract number with a mere ‘No objection’ from PPDA [Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority] masquerading as an authority to enter into such contracts… We find these transactions to be very suspicious,” the letter reads.
However, court records in case number 16 of 2017 between Africa Commercial Agency and Reliance Trading Company and the AG, the witness statement of a Malawi Police Service Fiscal and Fraud Section officer, among others, confirmed that there was a contract and that the items were supplied to the Immigration Department’s warehouse.
Peter Mutharika accuses Lazarus Chakwera of political persecution
MANGOCHI-(MaraviPost)-The former Malawi leader Peter Mutharika on Saturday, April 16, 2021 accused President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse administration of political persecution coupled with economic hardship Malawians are currently encountering.
Mutharika cited recent journalists and his opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) suspected members arrests without sufficient evidence rather said intimidation and threats over criticism.
The former President who was addressing a news conference at his retiring base in the lakeshore district in Mangochi for the first time after June 23, 2020 Fresh Presidential Election defeat observed that Malawians are suffering from economic hardships over poor policy directions.
“Stop arresting people including journalists, DPP members without enough evidence. Let remind you that during my time I never arrested anyone though journalists wrote naughty things about me.
“If you continue harassing them we will fight back which isnt good at all. So, you must stop with forthwith. This Malawi is not for a particular individuals or group but for all of us,” calmly visible and sound Mutharika tells Chakwera on the face.
one of the greatest achievement by the immediate former President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika
Jealous is one of the reasons our country has stalled for a couple of years without meaningful developments and we have always preferred politics over national developments which can move our country towards Singapore (reality many took like a joke).
I write after being reminded by our current President Lazarus M Chakwera’s touring of one of the greatest achievement by the immediate former President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika – the Area 18 Cloverleaf interchange which he toiled to achieve by putting Malawi first in his quest to transform Malawi as he promised that he will leave this country transformed to the level of Singapore.
Much as I understand it is the duty of the current Government to inspect various projects left by DPP administration, we also wish to remind the current Government that it must not only inspect as a matter of showing authority but it must finish various projects which the former President outlined including construction of a dual-carriage road from Crossroads Hotel up to Lumbadzi then followed by a modernized M1 motorway from Lumbadzi to Mzuzu, another dual-carriage road from Crossroads Hotel up to 6 Miles and followed by a new road from Chingeni to Blantyre via Zomba.
This Parliament to BNS dual carriage will only be meaningful if the other projects will materialize and only then can the present authorities proudly inspect without their opponents having the onus to question your inspection.
Much as we can proudly claim ownership of this Interchange APM delivered we have a lot of developments far reaching at which we are proud of and we mostly praise our star performer for construction and rehabilitation of roads hundreds of kilometers more than any other president who ruled Malawi and even surpassing Hastings Kamuzu Banda who ruled this country for 30 years without any opposition.
One of the distinctive achievements by APM is Community Colleges which he constructed throughout the country which is the key to youth empowerment and as quoted from former USA president Barack Obama “Community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career”.
I thank the Star Performer for tasking doubters to inspect the work of his own hands and as a quote of the former President late Bingu wa Mutharika goes “let the work of my hands speak for me”.
Lazarus Chakwera toured the project that was started by Peter Mutharika and DPP supporters were not shy reminding who started this project.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has expressed his government’s intent to develop the country’s cities through the construction of transformative pieces of infrastructure.
He was speaking Wednesday in Lilongwe when he appreciated progress on the construction of the K4.9 billion Area 18 Interchange project.
The President said he was delighted with the progress registered on its construction and that the facility will be ready for commissioning in two weeks’ time.
Construction of the interchange comes with a number of supporting projects
including construction of a dual carriageway from Kanengo to Crossroads, with a $30 million funding from the Chinese government
The other is a dual carriageway from Crossroads to Lilongwe CCAP via old Town.
The K30 billion project is being financed using a grant from the Japanese government.
The Area 18 Interchange project is part of an initiative to upgrade the Area 49 – Area 18 – Parliament Round about road to a dual carriage way, which will cost about K6.7 billion.
Talking Blues- Weekly seriuos Analysis of Malawi Events
Written by Mapwiya Muulupale
History is littered with infamous con men. Gregor MacGregor and Victor Lustig are perhaps the most legendary.
MacGregor, a Scot, is best known for a scam where he invented an entirely non-existent country and was convincing “investors” to hand over funds to exploit natural resources found in “Poyais,” his fake nation for which he was the crown prince.
Lustig was an Austria-Hungarian. His most well-known scam happened in 1925.
He was in a Paris hotel room reading a newspaper article about the Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1889 Paris World’s Fair, it was meant to be dismantled in 1909.
Due to its height, it served as a radio tower and proved useful for spying on Germans during World War I. It was now rusting and proving expensive to repair and maintain. The article said the State was struggling to find funds for its upkeep and the journalist ended by asking whether it might not be better to just sell it.
Lustig’s eyes lit up. Eureka!
He would sell the Eiffel Tower!
The Eiffel Tower
That it did not belong to him was just a minor detail; he would sell it.
Lustig was getting bored with petty scams, selling machines that printed USD100 bills and raking in between USD20,000 and USD30,000 per unit for himself.
He would stock a machine with a few counterfeit USD100 bills. After a bit of ‘programming’, they would materialize from the machine as if they were being printed.
Since it took about six hours to “print” one bill, by the time the two or three bills were “printed”, Victor would be extremely far away, with the real cold hard cash.
It was becoming boring; hence his relishing the opportunity to sell the Eiffel Tower.
He got some stationery printed that appeared to be from the Department of Post, Telegraph and Telephone, the government department in charge of public buildings.
Next, he finagled a fake ID and sent invitations to the top five iron salvage companies in Paris, informing them that they had been given the honour of bidding on an important government project and inviting them to a meeting at the Crillon Hotel. This was a high-end hotel.
On the appointed day, the five company representatives arrived.
Lustig delivered a compelling presentation, reiterating the well-publicized condition of the tower and its skyrocketing maintenance costs.
The government, he said, had no choice but to dismantle and sell it. However, he added, it was a delicate matter requiring the utmost discretion.
All parties agreed on maintaining confidentiality.
After treating them to a sumptuous lunch, he took the five candidates for a tour of the tower.
Unfortunately, a crew of workmen were busy measuring and assessing the tower for paint and repairs. Lustig told his delegation that they were preparing to dismantle the 7,000 tons of iron.
Flashing his fake ID at the entrance, he led the delegation in to inspect the merchandise. After the tour, he emphasized that time was of the essence, and he would be expecting bids the next day.
A very skilled scammer, he was second to none in reading people. He had identified his victim almost immediately, a certain Mr André Poisson.
This gentleman looked insecure and desperately wanted to make his mark in the industry.
However, when Mr Poisson came for the second meeting, he revealed that his wife had some doubts. He was not sure if he would bid.
To quell his mark’s unease, Lustig immediately took him into his confidence. He grumbled about the peanuts he earned as a civil servant and that he needed a bit of extra cash. If Mr Poisson could add just a bit of extra padding, he would guarantee him the deal.
Since Mr Poisson knew civil servants to be corrupt, he figured out that a con man would never ask for a bribe and concluded that this was 100% legit.
He duly paid the asking price, plus the bribe and off disappeared Lustig into Vienna where he read newspapers every day expecting to see his name and his masterful scam on the front page.
He waited and waited. There was nothing.
When his victim went to the Post, Telegraph and Telephone headquarters with his bill of sale to ask when the tower would be dismantled, they laughed him off.
Embarrassed about being conned and afraid to lose face in Paris, he never mentioned the scam to a single soul. Not even the police.
Lustig came back, sent out five more letters to different salvage companies and repeated the entire process.
This time without luck.
The new “buyer” did some research, discovered it was a scam and reported to the police.
Lustig escaped just in time, crossed the Atlantic to the United States where he resumed selling money printing machines.
You know what made me re-read Victor Lustig’s exploits? The scam that we – Malawians – suffered. Everybody who has been following former president Peter Mutharika’s denial of events that were happening right under his nose and involved his TPIN knows that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) sold us an “Eiffel Tower” in Peter Mutharika in 2014.
Since then, we have been operating under the impression that someone was in charge when in fact DPP looters were running amok, uncontrolled, unchecked, and unsupervised the whole five years.
Hence the thievery, the absent president and Norman Chisale’s multifaceted adventures.
Despite APM this and APM that, no one was in charge!
APM
Makes you want to cry, doesn’t it? Not me, I am laughing hard.
Look here, DPP con men – like all scammers Lustig included – suffer from two things: (a) greed and (b) over-confidence. DPP believed that we were all daft.
After successfully scamming us from 2014 to 2019, they had the nerve to re-scam!
However, unlike Lustig who escaped, there is Covid19, and they are all stuck here, being picked up one by one by Malawi Police. Poetic justice at its best.
Karma, Blues’ Orators, is indeed a bitch!
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