ACB misses documents on Bingu wealth inquiry

Graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says an investigation  into the late president Bingu wa Mutharika’s controversial K61 billion wealth amassed during his eight years in office has stalled because crucial documents are missing. Prior to becoming Head of State in 2004 his declared wealth was a mere K150 million.

ACB director general Reyneck Matemba says the crucial documents from the Attorney General of Jersey are missing.

Roughly five years ago, ACB received the now missing information from Jersey—an Island in Europe—through Malawi’s Ministry of Justice.

“We will have to apply again to have the copies of the documents otherwise we cannot do scything in the absence of the documents,” said Matemba.

Bingu allegedly opened a bank account on the island where he stashed some cash.

The investigations on the dubious stashing of the money, believed to have been stolen from government coffers started seven years ago.

Political and social commentator Alfred Kaisi said it was doubtful the government will continue investigating the matter.

He said the government of President Peter Mutharika is very much closely related to Bingu wa Mutharika as he was the blood elder brother to the incumbent president.

The then ACB director general Rezine Mzikamanda wrote the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)—the Ministry of Justice’s prosecution arm—acknowledging receipt of the Jersey information on July 4 2014.

But  Matemba said the bureau could not trace any information from Jersey relating to the matter.

Former president Joyce Banda, who took over power after Bingu’s death, initiated the probe by first instructing an evaluator—Jeremiah Chihana (now a member of parliament)—to value his wealth.

Bingu, according to documents from Jersey authorities, opened a joint account with his daughter Duwa, where it was believed a suspected offence involving fraud took place.

The ACB, through Interpol, had asked Her Majesty of Jersey to help it investigate the suspected fraud relating to bank account number 58099848, Optimum Account, held in the name of Bingu wa Mutharika and Duwa Mutharika Kafoteka.