MCP ready to move motion to impeach Malawi President

Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has said it is backing Human Rights Defenders (HRD) bid  for Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya to summon an emergency Parliament  meeting to consider impeaching President Peter Mutharika following his alleged involvement in the K2.7 billion Malawi Police Service (MPS) fraud.

MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka said the party is ready  start a process of impeachment of President Mutharika by providing a member of Parliament who can lodge the motion.

“MCP is ready to provide a legislator to submit a notice of motion to impeach President Mutharika,” said Mkaka.

He said MCP president Lazarus Chakwera is already on record  to have spoken strongly against “prince of thieves” and worsening corruption in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administration.

“Malawians are suffering as a result of corruption,” said Mkaka.

“We cannot sit and watch while the Presudent aids in milking an already thin cow that is Malawi.”

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation report indicated that Mutharika was allegedly involved in a K2.3 billion MPS and Pioneer Investments supply deal, where he receivec K145 million from the supplier into a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) account for which he is the sole signatory.

But presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said Mutharika is not moved with threats of impeachment because Mutharika never benefitted from proceeds of the Police -Pioneer Investment contract.

He said: “The record is clearly that the President never benefited from the alleged funds and he did nothing wrong.”

A November 2017 leaked ACB investigative report says a day after Pioneer Investments deposited K2.793 billion payment from Police for supplying 500 000 ration packs, the firm transferred K145 million to a DPP Standard Bank account.

According to Procedures for impeachment of President or Vice-President, as laid down in Section 208(1) “A member wishing to move a motion to indict the President or the Vice-President for impeachment shall give a notice of intention to move such a motion, signed by one-third of Members of the Assembly to the office of the Speaker seven days before the motion to indict the President or the Vice-President on impeachment is moved in the Assembly.”