Tag Archives: Malawi leader Peter Mutharika

Malawi

Malawi lawyers hold demos against executive arm of government

Maneno Chimulala

Written by Richard Kayenda

Legal minds during demonstration on Wednesday

MZUZU-(MaraviPost)—Legal practitioners, paralegal staff and other workers in the legal industry have today held demonstrations in the cities and towns of the country in a bid to express their dismay with the failure of the executive arm of government to recognise the independence of the judiciary, another branch of the same.

Clad in their court regalia; others in white t-shirts inscribed on the back: Executive… stay on your lane… , the legal minds, in Mzuzu City, in the company of officials from Church and Society of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (Hrdc) and members of the citizenry started their match from Shoprite Round to Mzuzu High Court at around midday.

According to a private practice lawyer, Patrick Ngwira, who was part of the demonstration, the executive arm of the government is misconducting itself by failing to recognise the independence of the judiciary.

“It is very sad that the executive is unable to recognise the boundary between itself an the judiciary. The constitution of Malawi is very clear on the separation of powers among the three branches of the government and the independence of judiciary and its staff,” said Ngwira.

The demonstration of the lawyers comes at a time the Chief Secretary to the government, Lloyd Muhara, is being condemned for issuing a public notice informing the general public that the Chief Justice Andrew K. C. Nyirenda, SC, will be proceeding on leave with immediate effect.

Both local and international legal experts have since punched holes in the notice saying, it was erroneous and unconstitutional for the executive branch to process retirement of the head of judiciary whose contract still runs up to December 2021.

corruption, Malawi, Top News

ACB dossier implicates Malawi President Mutharika in fraudulent deal as a beneficiary

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-As pervasive graft involving senior government officials continues to shackle innocent Malawians, the citizens have been further ridiculed and left in depth of despair with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) report implicating Malawi leader Peter Mutharika as a beneficiary of fraudulent deal involving Malawi Police Services and Pioneer Investment.

According, to ACB dossier in possession, Mutharika pocketed MMK145 million from the shady deal despite him being aware of the fraudulent act that led to the availability of the said money in his account.

The report indicates that Malawi Police Services awarded a contract to Pioneer Investment to supply 500 000 ration packs and the company charged MK2, 327, 087, 500.00 putting each pack at MK3995.00.

“On 24th July 2015 MPS IPC wrote ODPP seeking no objection to award a contract to Pioneer Investment to supply 500 000 ration packs at the contract sum of MK2,327,087,500. Each ration pack was charged MK3,995.00,” reads the report.

The company is owned by Zameer Karim, according to the report.

However, on 10th August 2015, 6 days after signing the contract, Zameer Karim wrote Mr. G. I. Bottoman, the Director of Finance requesting for upward price adjustment of the contract by 20%. Pioneer Investment cited depreciation of Malawi Kwacha against United States Dollar (USD) as a reason for price adjustment. However, between 4th to 6th August 2015 the percentage of depreciation of Malawi Kwacha against USD was 1.6%.

On 17th August 2015, Mr. Bottoman on his own without approval of MPS IPC and OCPP, approved 20% upwards price adjustment to Pioneer Investment. Each ration pack was adjusted from MK3,995.00 to MK4,795.00. The total contract was adjusted from MK2,327,087,500.00 to MK2,793,047,500.00. The difference is MK446,000,000.00.

According to the report, the addition money (k446,000,000.00) was shared between Pioneer Investment and other top MPS officials including Innocent Bottoman, the Director of Finance.

However, upon receiving the money, Karim, the owner of Pioneer Investment deposited K145,000,000 into the Standard Bank account of the Democratic Progressive Party of which Peter Mutharika is the sole signatory of the account.

“On 13th April 2016, Zameer Karim ensued a cheque from Pioneer Investment account to National Bank worth MK145,000,000.00 and instructed the bank to depost the said amount into Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Account domiciled at Standard Bank. Its account number is 014003192200,” reads the report.

The report further indicates that Mutharika is the one who opened the said bank account in 2015 and he is the sole signatory of the account and from January to October 2016, Mutharika made cheque withdrawals amounting to MK65,000,000.00 from the said Standard Bank account.

In their recommendations, the graft bursting body ordered the prosecution of all individuals involved expect Mutharika who is currently being protected by the constitution.

“In the meantime, His Excellency Peter Mutharika should not be prosecuted in accordance with section 91 (2) of the constitution of the Republic of Malawi,” the report reads.

The Mutharika’s involvement in the corruption scandal comes barely a month after Vice President Saulos Chilima called for repeal of the law which guaranteed immunity for Head of State from prosecution during their term of office, saying the president should face criminal proceedings for his actions.

According to Chilima, who is on record of saying corruption levels in government has reached ‘embarassing levels,’ said giving immunity to President from criminal prosecution gives the presidency licence to commit corrupt crimes.

Chilima said it did not make sense for an employee of citizens not to be charged or prosecuted for criminal acts carried out during the period of employment while employers, Malawians, did not enjoy such a luxury.

“This provision is a licence for the presidency to conduct corrupt practices knowing he would not be prosecuted. I am calling for an amendment to this section in the constitution if we are to truly fight corruption in this country,” he said as quoted by The Nation newspaper.

The second coming into power by DPP has exacerbated the abuse of public resources by self-selecting political and public elites with dispiriting impunity.

Meanwhile, the economy is sluggard, noncompetitive and exploitative. The poor become poorer as the rich become mega rich overnight.

District News, SADC

Malawi issues 9 million National IDs in six months

Maravi Post Reporter

National IDS For Malawi
Malawi National IDs

Lilongwe – Malawi has for the first time after 50 years of its independence issued biometric national identity cards (IDs) to 9 million people.
The issuance of the 9 million national IDs follows the implementation of mass registration exercise completed within a six-month period spanning from May to November this year.
Various stakeholders have lauded the initiative with many descriptions such as “transformative milestone, fulfilled promise, landmark development and a guarantor of citizenship.”
Malawians had to endure a long wait in order to get legal documents identifying them as bona-fide citizens.
Speaking at the end of national IDs mass registration exercise, Malawi leader Peter Mutharika said, everyone was excited about the introduction of national IDs. Continue reading Malawi issues 9 million National IDs in six months →