Thief of Baghdad Copy-Cat invades Malawi?

residential jet: This photo was taken at Johannesburg - O.R. Tambo International (Jan Smuts) (JNB / FAJS)

The late Malawi Banjo wizard and the master of Musila and Tchopa music blend, Fred Sinjani, was right on the money when he schooled that you could not tell a thief by his tag [Wakuba Alibe Malemba].  

As was reported by Nyasa Times, on 15 August 2008, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Kasungu legislator, played moth ball politics when he pulled Goodall Gondwe by the ears, when he asked the Finance Minister during committee of supply stage of budget deliberations on how much government sold the Presidential jet.  

Well it was typical of end of the National Budget debate stuff, and a peak into how the opposition has infiltrated our government. Is it not interesting that even the most highly kept secrets are still finding their way to the public domain?  

Goodall Gondwe, the man credited with stimulating Mutharika’s economic cameo, finally realized how wasted it is to stick up for people, who are preying on the already meager public coffers, by admitting in parliament that he does not know how the proceeds of the Government Jet sold to a Texas Billionaire, were handled although he knows about the underhand sell.  

As usual, some people have already been all canine and butt; defending the corrupt manner in which Mutharika completed the whole transaction although one could easily smell corruption. Of course, you are going to have to ride your luck when you have an earth-shattering thief for a president. Mutharika must give us back the money.  It is public property!  

It seems we got more than we deserved when we voted Mutharika in office. Actually, it scarcely takes a police officer to figure out that Mutharika had an accomplice in this shadowy deal. Someday, all people involved in this act of theft by public servants will have to account for their selfish actions.   

Here is some work for Alexios Nampota.  For once Alex, go to work!  

Mutharika may rightly take the headlines and dislocated adulation for his infrastructure development proficiency, which is obviously exaggerated, but what is more is the fact that he has a responsibility to Malawians by providing honest leadership to set a good example for the watching public.  

What chokes my rooster is how he was able to complete the whole sale of the jet without involving government officials from the Ministry of Finance and in his short-circuited thinking; Malawians were not going to know about it.  This is typical Rikki Kimani Shayo pattern of operation.  

How could the whole Minister of Finance not know where the financial proceeds from the sell went, when it is his national duty to ensure that no any individual abuses public finances?  Seriously, this was not PVHO auctioning off Toyota Cressidas.  This was the real deal!    

Without trying to tighten Goodall’s belt for him: and not seeming to put his unimpeachable credentials in bad light, did Goodall really have to wait for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Kasungu legislator, Sailous Gulule, to toggle his normally astounding memory to spill the beans?  

In verity, I thought as part of his National Budget case on State House Expenditure he was going to be eager to talk about proceeds from such massive State House/Government property disposals.  

Nevertheless, it would still be safe to assume, that like a patriotic and good man he is, Goodall was not trying to throw the baby with the bathwater when he curved in to the weight of Sailous Gulule’s probing by letting the cat out of the bag.   

Interesting though that even after Gondwe came out clean about the crooked sell, some people still stupidly think Mutharika is still snazzy and squeaky clean on this one.  

Even so for his forthrightness and honesty, I will give Goodall a decent run out for immediately this matter was revealed, Mutharika found it convenient to order the closure of Parliament.  It neither was a coincidence nor was it providence.  It was by design.  Bingu did not want long sustained debate of this matter.   He did not want parliament working its socks off and going to town on it.