Jumbe accuses Mutharika administration: ‘this govt is corrupt’

Friday Jumbe, Malawi’s ex-finance minister who is now opposition UDF president has shrugged off talks that the Bakili Muluzi government was corrupt saying the perception has no basis and pointed out that in the current Mutharika administration there is rampant corruption.

Jumbe was questioned by Capital Radio’s Straight Talk programme host, Brian Banda, to comment on the corruption allegations associated with the previous UDF government.

“So it is said as we hear it as a song. The song was being sung at that time that our government was corrupt, to what an extent; I think what you are saying is correct; it was an allegation which has never been founded.

“Because what those politicians of that time were doing I don’t see the difference with what difference the current politicians are doing now,” said Jumbe in a programme monitored by Nyasa Times, aired on Tuesday evening.

“And as you know the corruption index rose much further in 2007 and 2008 meaning thereby that the issue of corruption is not as we talk about,” he said.

But journalist Banda renowned for his no-holds barred questions in the fast-paced interview programme, pressed Jumbe to explain why donors withdrew budgetary support when there were corruption allegations during the UDF government.

The former country’s purse keeper from 2002 to 2004 denied that donors pulled out their budgetary support due to corruption but said it was due to fiscal discipline.

“The donor community pulled out because what they perceived to be not meeting the macro economic targets. They came back during my period in September 2003 when I was minister of finance and they only pulled out towards the elections because maybe they didn’t think we could control the budget during the election time,” explained Jumbe.

But probed to explain on the much publicized K187 scam where contractors were paid for buildings school projects which were not completed or even not constructed altogether, Jumbe said the cases involved individuals.

“The issue of schools is what is popularly known as the Ministry of Education scam. And the scam affected particular individuals. The matter was taken to court. It was partially finished and it is still being pursued in court.

“When a matter has been taken to court and culprits have been taken to book, you can’t therefore necessarily say you can associate their activities with government. It was to do with those individuals that were taken to book.”

He said corrupt practices which he denounces are even occurring in Europe and that “even in the current Malawi government there is corruption.”

Asked to prove the corruption cases in the Mutharika government, he answered: “Haven’t you read yourself that Road Traffic Directorate is corrupt. Haven’t you read yourself that the most corrupt is police? Haven’t you read yourself from the media there is corruption at Immigration?”

The interviewer also probed Jumbe on corruption allegations which have been associated with him including that he “unduly” benefited from the sale of maize.

“Don’t believe in perceptions and allegations, Malawi is sometimes a destructive society when you wear a good shirt sometimes people say the shirt might have been stolen. When you drive a good car, sometimes people say the car has been stolen but be honest where was it stolen? If you think it was stolen who are the culprits why can’t you bring the person to book?”

He said is wrong to conclude that UDF officials who were in government then were involved in wrongful self enrichment because they are all broke.

“We are poor by all definition. We are all languishing. If you check our bank accounts they are in red. So where is that property that was acquired dubiously and quickly when we are all very poor now?” he asked in a calm tone.

Probed on how he build the Superior Hotel in Blantyre if it was not by corrupt means, Jumbe said: “Would you think building Superior Hotel is something very wonderful? That’s a rest house, how many rest houses are in town? In Malawi how many better things have people built other than Superior Hotel? Do you think Superior Hotel is any more magnificent? It is not, that is why am saying some Malawians are very petty.”

He explained: “That hotel was built with loans from banks, there is evidence about that. If you go to the banks that I borrowed from, you will find out that I haven’t even finished paying back the loan. Therefore, should I stand on a podium and tell you where I got the loans before I build a project. I am a free Malawian, I can do business.”

He said some of the corruption allegations are made to destroy somebody’s character.

Asked if he can walk tall that he has not been corrupt when he was in government, Jumbe said:  “Not tall but taller.”

Jumbe also pointed out that on the basis of comparison with the 31 years of MCP and by 2014 about 9 years of DPP, the UDF government cannot be looked lowly by the donors.

“In my view there is a lot of donor confidence on reflection and introspect,” said Jumbe. He did not elaborate.

Jumbe said he was appointed minister of finance in 2002 when the country was going through economic difficulties.

“We didn’t have a programme with IMF; donor support was rather lukewarm as such we went through a lot of difficulties. But despite those difficulties as a country we managed to survive. But I don’t want to compare with the current govt. That comparison will come in 2014 and not now,” said Jumbe.

Tagged with: Bakili Muluzi, Bingu, Friday Jumbe, IMF, UDF, World Bank

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