ACB czar says Muluzi case needs political solution

Graft-busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says the 14-year-old former president Bakili Muluzi corruption case needs political solution not legal to get to its logical conclusion.

Matemba: Politically motivated case needs political solution
Muluzi:  Case was politically inspired

In an interview with a local radio station, the ACB czar Reyneck Matemba doubted if the case can come to a conclusion using the judiciary.

“My own personal opinion is that the case needs a political solution, that is my personal opinion,” said Matemba without explaining much.

Matemba, a practising lawyer, recused himself from prosecuting the case,  citing personal reasons when he was deputy director at ACB.

His former boss director Lucas Kondowe had been on record saying he had serious “reservations” with certain aspects of the K1.7 billion corruption case.

Muluzi, 77  is being tried along with his former secretary Lyness Whiskey  as government claimed 1.7 billion Malawian kwacha ($12 million)  in the former president’s account during his 1994-2004 presidency came from donors.

Court documents shows most of the funds were from his business empire Atupele Properties and donation for his political party campaign from Taiwan, Morocco and Libya.

said before he joined the bureau, his opinion of the Muluzi case was like most people, “which was an opinion driven by the media reports that I had read from various sources.”

Kondowe said when he became head of ACB he requested to review the files to “understand the facts of the case thoroughly instead of just receiving the button and running with it.”

He said: “This is one of the best documented cases I have ever seen at the Bureau with over 16 files of material and a great amount of money spent travelling across the globe, conducting interviews and collecting data and various materials. Thanks to the British government which financed most of this work.

“I have also held private discussions with two of my predecessors who presided as DG(s) at the material time. I will not discuss the details of those discussions as they were private. I have enormous respect and admiration for these two great sons of Malawi for their service to the nation.”

Kondowe said:”I have expressed reservations with certain aspects of the case which I have discussed with my colleagues at the Bureau in great detail. We have had numerous debates on certain matters that I feel strongly about and would like these resolved as they would have dire consequences.”

The former president has always said the charges were politically motivated.

The defence had asked the court to discharge Muluzi.

Matemba clarified that he did not mean that the ACB was dropping the case.

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Misi Thandulo
Misi Thandulo
4 years ago

Matemba recused himself from the case a while ago for personal reasons. What audacity to offer an opinion on the same cade he coud not prosecute? All gifts offered to a sitting President must go to the Treasury department, to protect the office from corruption. Otherwise the president could be auctioning valuable state property or parts of Likoma Island to the highest bidder. The president should only receive a gift under strict checks and balances. He ought to return the money or have it deposited on behalf of the Malawi government. No one anywhere in the world will just donate… Read more »

kalongonda
kalongonda
4 years ago

Bakili muluzi akuyenera kulipiridwa. Mwana wake Atupele anakanika kukhala president chifukwa anthu amati Bambo ake ndi akuba. Bingu ankangofuna kuthana ndi Muluzi pa zifukwa zandale.

Angoni apaphata
Angoni apaphata
4 years ago

I said even on Facebook that this is a non starter. Muluzi was given a cheque in his name. Zokuti zinali za Malawi is a moral issue. Inu kuchenjera kuli ndi Tcheya angapange dala za six pounds? I applied Matemba for coming out intelligent for once. Timaona ngati nzeru zidatha. This is a political issue. Kodi mulandu ongozenga Muluzi yekha nanga bank inachita release ndalama za a Malawi opanda nzeru ndiye olo manager wake osamuzenga bwanji? Mukulimbana ndi transaction nanga bank ethics? Pamenepo ndiye pofunika political engineer….. Atcheya woyeeee. Musadwale means simukufunikanso lawyer. Olo Jane Ansah uwu atha kukuwinitsani

Political Observer
Political Observer
4 years ago

ACB is taking a wrong direction for obvious reasons. Why cant ACB allow the case to go through all the necessary court processes and then the Court itself must make its final judgement on whether to acquit Muluzi on grounds of lack of evidence or not. Period.

Tizowele
Tizowele
4 years ago

For Mr matemba, issue ya Thom mpinganjira is in the same group of cases…

Japanise.
4 years ago

A Ndalamawa zimawayendere pachilungamo.

Kelwero
4 years ago

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Noxy
4 years ago

Just throw it out Mr Matemba, we will go nowhere with this case.

Nasingwe
Nasingwe
4 years ago

matenda a nsana aja ayambikeso

chimanga
4 years ago

Serious for 14 years the bureau has been working on a case that it knew was a non starter? Shame. Or has the bureau been ”’ Thom mpinganjirised?”

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