The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested former Inspector General of Police of Malawi Dr George Kainja, barely a day after Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera fired him after he was implicated in a corruption case involving UK-based Malawian businessperson Zuneth Sattar.
ACB has also arrested Malawi Police Service legal officer Mwabi Kaluba in connection to the same case of influencing the procurement of 350,00 food ration and packs valued at $875,000 (about K875 million).
IG Kainja – sacked, arrested and bailed
In a statement the ACB released on Thursday signed by the Malawi’s graft-busting body principal public relations officer Egrita Ndala, dated 23 June 2022, says the investigations established that the former Inspector General solicited $8,000 (about K8 million and a car to award Sattar the K875 million contract.
Reads the statement in part: ” On 23rd June the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested former Inspector General of Police Dr George Kainja for receiving advantage from Zuneth Sattar, Managing Director of Xaviar Limited on account of influencing a contract reference number MPS/SB/16/04/2021 to supply 350,000 food ration packs worth $875,000 by unlawfully initiating requisition of the procurement on Zuneth Sattar instructions.
“He is likely to be charged with two counts of soliciting advantage in regards to the contracts contrary to section 29 (1) as read in Section 34 of the Anti-Corruption Practices Act.”
On Kaluba’s arrest, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police, the ACB statement says it established that he corruptly received $20,000 (about K20 million) from Sattar for giving assistance in the procurement of the food ration.
“He will likely to be charged with one count of soliciting advantage in regards to contracts contrary to section 29 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Practices Act,” reads the report.
ACB says Kainja and Kaluba will be taken to court after the bureau interviews them over the matter.
The arrest follows a state of the nation address President Chakwera made on Tuesday in which he said a report ACB director general Martha Chizuma submitted to him implicates 53 civil servants as well as 31 private sector officials to have received bribes from Sattar, including Vice-President Saulos Chilima and State House Chief of Staff.
The President also said the ACB report, which was copied to Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda as well as Speaker of Malawi Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, also implicated officers from Office of President and Cabinet, Office of Vice-President, Ministries of Homeland Security, Wildlife Tourism and Culture, Defence, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Judiciary, ACB itself and journalists.
But Chakwera said apart from Chilima none of his Cabinet Ministers was implicated in the case.
The President also suspended delegated duties to Chilima over the same incident, saying he was among four of the 13 cases the bureau has completed its investigations.
However, Chilima hit back in statement, accusing the bureau of political persecution and the President for acting on an issue which has before the court.
He said he was ready to prove his innocence should an opportunity to do do arises.
Chilima was mentioned in affidavit in UK’s National Criminal Agency case of Sattar.
