Analyst says Mutharika risks arrest over cement saga

A political and social commentator says former president Peter Mutharika risks arrest and prosecution over allegations that he imported duty free cement worth over K5 billion although he has refuted this.

However, Humphrey Mvula said if the former president said the duty free cement was done behid his back, then the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) which has officers at State House, the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) are to blame for not raising the red flag.

In a statement, Mutharika says he neither bought nor instructed anyone to buy or import the cement in question, saying accordingly, he could not request the public tax collector to invoke any of his privileges to clear the alleged consignment of cement duty free.

But Mvula says the statement does not exonerate Mutharika from the crime, saying his aide, Norman Chisale used the former president’s TPIN.

But Mvula says the state intelligence apparatus, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), which has officers at Kamuzu palace, could have detected this and informed the president, saying state intelligence officers are the eyes and ears of the state president.

“This whole thing shows that NIB is weak. The whole purpose of having an intelligence officer at Kamuzu palace is to alert the state president on such matters which are done behind the back of the head of state.

He also wondered why MRA was moved on the duty free matter just with a word of a bodyguard.

Mvula has also blamed the centra bank, saying this international financial transaction should have raised a red flag, seeking confirmation from the president through the minister of Finance.

Malawians have taken up in various social media platforms to blame Mutharika for the whole thing, saying his aides and close allies took advantage of his old age, saying the whole thing shows Malawi had a weak leader for the past six years.