JB scoffs at Assets declaration, calls Malawi Parliament meeting
President Joyce Banda has said she should not be pushed to make public her assets she declared before parliament without the necessary law in place.
President Banda said at a news conference she held at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre e upon arrival from United State where she has been away for three weeks that she cannot be forced to make her assets public, wondering why people are only targeting her and not her predecessors.
Banda said she has not been into wrongful self-enrichment like her predecessors, pointing out: “I started operating businesses when I was 21 years and money is not a problem.”
On assets declaration, the Malawi leader said ordered parliament to meet early November, to among other things review the asset declaration law.
“I have asked the Attorney General to work on the Assets declaration so that it should include others like Principal Secretaries, Directors of government departments and parastatal chiefs as well,” said President Banda.
She said the bill is expected to be debated during the next sitting of Parliament which she said would have to be brought forward to handle the ‘looting crisis’.
“I have asked them to meet as early as this month. I want the new law to target other government officials including principle secretaries, those in parastatals and directors in government ministries,” she said.
President Banda said the Assets Bill if passed into law will enable Malawians to question public officers on their wealth when they leave office.
The President also ordered the country’s corruption busting body, the Anti Corruption Bureau, Police and Financial Intelligence Unit—money laundering fighting institution—to be sending reports to her regularly.
