Bureau says no political machination in Muluzi seizure of passport
The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) director Alex Nampota has downplayed allegations that the seizure of former president Bakili Muluzi’s travel documents stopping him from seeking medical attention in UK has political undertones.
Muluzi was scheduled to jet off to UK for a crucial check-up on Wednesday but the bureau obtained a High Court order on Friday at 10pm to seize the former president’s passport.
The move followed a claim by Chief Immigration Office Elvis Thodi that he had received an anonymous phone call tipping him that Muluzi would not return to continue facing prosecution in the corruption charges.
Muluzi is accused of depositing a K1.4 billion (about US$11 million) in his personal account from Libya, Taiwan and Morocco when he was Head of State. He denies any wrong doing.
His lawyer, Jai Banda said the seizure of the passport based on anonymous source was tantamount to “political persecution” against Muluzi who has been travelling to UK on numerous occasions for routine medical check-up even under treason charges hanging on his head.
However, Nampota dismissed the assertions of political machinations saying the action of the bureau was a due process of the law.
“I wonder when fighting corruption became a political question. Nobody is not aware now the gravity of the case against the former Head of State. The amount of money involved in the cases is colossal,” said Nampota.
“We as a bureau seized his passport after we had voluntarily given it to him, and we had no problems in him going for medical checkup,” Nampota told VOA on Monday.
”But institutions like ours receiving information to the effect that there is a possible likelihood that justice would be defeated are supposed to take the necessary actions. We got complaints that once Dr. Muluzi leaves for medication he is going to perpetually extend his stay there and probably not come back in order to frustrate the proceedings,” he said.
“Any reasonable law enforcement institution would pause and look and see is this a credible information or not. So really, there nothing political in it. When we allowed him to go was there politics. So really it’s not true that the seizure of passport is political machination, far from it,” said Nampota.
Nampota, nonetheless pointed out that Muluzi will eventually be allowed to travel to UK on strict conditions.
“He is perfectly entitled to go for medication but when you get information like this we can’t let people go. You first verify .If we verify and we have credible evidence that he will sabotage the trial, we will take necessary measures. But if it turns out not to be true, still we may want to look on the bail conditions he has so that he may go to UK with proper bones,” said the anti-graft Czar.
He added: “To us is not a permanent stoppage. We just want to verify.”
The anti-graft boss explained the reason for seizing the passport: “The first one is to do verification, and the second one is to file an application with the court for the court to impose a further bail. In terms of the Corrupt Practices Act, it’s open to the Anti-Corruption Bureau to ask the court to impose further bail where somebody is leaving the country.”
He denied that the ACB is to blame for the delay in investigations into the alleged corruption charges against former President Muluzi.
“Who has made this case take this long? You remember it was stopped by an injunction. The bureau could not flout a court order by proceeding further with this case. The injunction was on the basis that Dr. Muluzi wants to challenge the powers of the ACB in the Constitutional Court,” he said.
“It’s not the bureau that has made the case to take too long. We want him to take plea. What is happening is a lot of objections which we wonder whether they have any basis of law whatsoever, the court is to decide.
“Nevertheless, as a result of multitudes of objections, some of which are avoidable. They could be taken during trial, they are raising them and we can’t start the trial. He is objecting to bail. I think we need to be fair,” said Nampota.
He however could not say when the matter would be dealt with to allow Muluzi who suffered a slip disc after the 2004 elections and conceded at the weekend that he is in agony to travel to seek medical attention.
“We have heard his lawyers remarks that they are going to challenge the order but we are also proceeding on application to get the court to look into whether further bond should not be executed by him before he goes. Definitely, there is going to be some action along those lines hand in hand with verifications of the allegations going on,” said Nampota.
Muluzi’s son, Atupele, a member of parliament, said the claims that his father would bolt from the trial were “laughable” and he believed were “cooked up”.
The young Muluzi said the former president would not jump bail conditions and was willing to prove his innocence in c
ourt but meanwhile has a health emergency.
Tagged with: ACB, Atupele Muluzi, Jai Banda, K1.4 billion, Muluzi, Nampota, slip disc
Asiyeni atcheya ayende kodi inu simumva bwanji
thodi atcheya sisayizi yanu mwamva
mwachapa kwambiri osamalimbana ni kumtunda!!!
Mac and Edo,
This is just a simple issue which needs understanding. Muluzi is answering charges of corruption. If he goes to UK without proper bail conditions he may jump the bail altogether. Remember Peter mulamba who was to be key witness in Friday Jumbe and Humphrey Mvula’s cases of corruption had ran away to the UK. He is now immuned in the UK. The case was dismissed because of his no whereabouts. Some of you talk of the Lhomwe’s but you forget that Muluzi favoured University students from Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi and Zomba 1998-2002. These students were receiving big moneys because of their Yaoism. Tikuvimanya vyose ivi.Ise tingazomera chara kuti Muluzi na wankhungu wanyakhe wachimbire muno.Ayikhona mani!!!!!!!! Wawezge makopala ghose agho akatolapo mbwenu timugowokerenge
Allow Former President to go for medical check up in the UK. He has to be respected and those are his benefits don`t be jealousy with his wealth.
Do not forget that there is no wamuyaya and when you are in power everything is okay so set good precedent for future generation and not spade to spade.
About comparing UK and malawi yes, malawians need to start understanding issues e.g.when the estimated costs for telecentres were mentioned that it will cost around 55m malawi kwacha, some started questioning. We should know better or quality development is expensive and we Must start planning on those lines.
So uk has better medical facilities,experienced scientists and they are paid accordingly so we have a long way to go than waisting time one personalities.
Let us do our part and people or nation as the whole will judge our work.
The spirit of snatching somebody`s wealth and property is bad however one once found guilty should be asked to pay back the moneys or fined. him, go to jail.
mukhonza kumuimba mlandu in his absencia are you also handcapped in you mind?
Amadalo ndi Amaria,
Iwe Maria, Madalo asakupusitse ukuwoneka nawenso ulibe mfundo, zomwe walembazi ndizambwerera. Anthu mumakumana kawiri kutiko? Zatizibwenzi apa ayi. Be mature! Mukuchitawu ndi ufiti wamasanasana, ukatambatamba kumayang’ana kumwamba.paja mfiti yayikazi kuwuma moyo.
It seams there are some misunderstandings in this story.Despite Muluzi will be allowed to travel to UK for treatment on whatever conditions the thing is something is going on between ACB, ATUPELE and JAI BANDA of which people of Malawi will know why Muluzi cant travel for medical check up.I wish that no one should not loose his job in the end.If this issue is personal let it be like that but if its political machination in Muluzi then let him go for treament.
kukangana thats nature of people. Acb and courts got procedures hope they are at better position to handle this. Muzingokanganapo but there nothing u can do. muluzi knows malamulo ndi matenda akewo. The best thing mulanduwu uyende mwachangu uthe. Malawi must move forward