Analysts further weigh in on leaked Malawi police food scandal report
Governance expert and a social commentator have faulted the country’s graft busting body— Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) — of focusing in investigating the source of leaked document summarizing serious fraud and corruption involving the police, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and a businessman Zameer Karim instead of focusing on prosecuting suspected wrong doers in the matter.
ACB said it has hired a South African expert with a lie detector to investigate who leaked the document, among many that have found its way out from the bureau.
However, governance expert Makhumbo Munthali said the actions of ACB indicate that they are facing extreme pressure from the corridors of power.
“The whole saga only points to the possibility that ACB is under undue pressure from an underlying executive hand who are too bitter at the revelation of this leaked report,” Munthali told Nyasa Times
“However, one wonders how ACB sets its priorities. While it is important for the Bureau to know the identity of the one who leaked the so-called ‘preliminary report’ just for professional purposes, it defies logic and common sense for the Bureau to prioritise that at the expense of conclusion into the investigations into this police gate where the President is allegedly implicated,” he said.
According to the governance expert, by calling for an external investigator over the leaked document the Bureau is indirectly communicating to the public that what it had labelled as a preliminary report may in fact be a final report hence the anger and bitterness against the “leaker” of the dossier.
“ACB report raises ethical dilemma. While on one hand it is true that releasing a public document prematurely or that which is not supposed to release may be illegal and that whoever does that must face serious disciplinary sanctions, on the other hand releasing information which would be in the public interest may be justifiable,” he said.
“If the motive of the person who leaked the ACB report was right after realising that by virtue of implicating the President the report would not be acted on by the Bureau in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecution, then the leaker would be ethically justified despite contravening the Law or the oath he or she swore.
“Even if the leaker of the report had bad motives of leaking the report after realising it had implicated the President hence wanting to embarass him, as long as the leaked report is true and in the public interest in as far as holding the President accountable is concerned then that person may be justifiable too ethically despite contravening his or her oath,” he added.
Taking it to social media, Idriss Ali Nassah a fierce social and political commentator, said whoever advised the ACB to hire South Africans to investigate the leak into the matter where Mutharika and his DPP were beneficiaries of a dirty deal of food rations at the Malawi Police Service, is smart.
“By this very action three things are bound to happen: The matter of the K145 million will not die. President Peter Mutharika’s name will keep being mentioned in connection with this brazen theft of public money.
“ Knowing fully well that public outrage is not about who leaked the report but about who stole the money, this move to investigate the leak is designed to further outrage Malawians.
“The South Africans’ investigation into the leak will ultimately be ‘inconclusive’ but that is yet another way to keep the story alive and in the public domain,” he pointed out.
A constitutional law commentator Professor Danwood Chirwa has said that given the case implicates the highest office, ACB director’s “obfuscation” must be seen as ploy to escape from personal political pressure, which the office must never experience in any case.
“We know that the ACB has compiled many dockets detailing corrupts deeds of many very senior politicians but it has not prosecuted them due to political interference. This is not what the ACB was set up to do. It’s a waste of resources to investigate cases and never to prosecute. It must be independent and prosecute cases without fear or favour,” he said.
Chirwa has said the leak must be welcomed for the reason that the case was not going to be brought to court.
“Now at least people know how their country is being plundered. Not that this is surprising. But knowing that there is evidence for the suspicions people have is edifying and gives hope that there could be some accountability, political or legal,” he said.
The legal expert recommended that ACB must arrest those implicated who have no immunity – Karim and Malawi Police director of finance Innocent Bottoman – without delay and parliament must institute impeachment proceedings against the President.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima has called for the amendment of a constitutional provision that shields a sitting President from criminal prosecution, saying it gives the presidency licence to commit corrupt crimes.
A leaked ACB investigation report showed that DPP received K145 million from a supplier through a Standard Bank account whose sole signatory is Mutharika.
Initially, the presidency dismissed the matter as “fake news” but State House later confirmed the transaction and the account, but said there was nothing sinister as it was a donation from a well-wisher.
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Of course its standard practice that you want to identify the leaker of any company/ organisation information. Every country be it the west, asia, latin America or indeed Africa will hunt down employees who leak company documents. Whether the “leaker” is guilty or not its for the courts to determine.
Most Malawian so called political analysts know nothing about how African Governments operate in reality. Its a complex web made up of crooks who hide behind quest to develop the country when actually their aim is to plunder. Would Chilima, Chakwera and Muluzi be different? I doubt.
It is a known fact that director of ACB is just spending tax payers money for no work at all. He better resign.
Come to think of this ifeyo oberedwafe are paying for munthu to hunt down
amene anatidziwitsi kuti taberedwa. Does this make sense
Instead of focusing pa akubawo achina Peter Muntharikawo, the government is hunting down mnasi amene watsina nkhutu.
Zodabwitsa kwambiri.
This is taking Us Malawians for granted sure.
i agree with you, lets the woman/man who leaked this report in one way or the other
How dare are you ACB, just give the whole investigaion into Policegate away to foreigners! Imagine this is one case of many similar who got leaked.
This whistle blower is a hero and needs protection not prosecution!
They are looking in the wrong direction. Since Independence, till about 4 years ago, the Police never bought rations for their men. If the policemen were on outside duties they received allowances with which they bought food of their own choice: soft drinks, thobwa, mandasi,etc. In the process they contributed to the economy of Malawi. Now, in the promotion of corruption, they decided to give them rations (from India and pakistan), and there by spend MK2.8 billion on silly food imports. Most policemen complain on the composition of these rations (chocolate, fish, and some other things they don’t even know)
I believe the whole idea to buy rations was corrupt, with the aim of getting something in return. Asiyeni a polisi adzidya zomwe amazidziwa, akakhala pamsewu. ACB should actually investigate the whole issue of MK2.8 billion and not only MK466 million.
Us Malawians we talk too much and no action. We have these political analysts and facebook commentators – but at the end of the day nothing is going to change without action. People have to rise up and confront this beast called DPP head on. We have seen Arab upraising whereby people demonstrated against their governments for weeks but in Malawi cannot even demonstrate for a day. These politicians have known that Malawians are stupid and can’t stand up to them that is why they do garbage things knowing they will still be voted into power. It started when people voted for Muluzi knowing well he was a thief…..saying ‘tikufuna wakuba yemweyo’. It started the trend that we do not need a principled president but anyone as far as we like them. What a sad country and this will continue unless we change and start holding our leaders to account. sorry for the rant.
The Whistle Blower is protected by the democratic state of Malawi in which the ordinary people are the rulers. Malawians will be foolish to watch one of their own be manhandled and prosecuted for exposing corruption of the highest order. No one is above the law, not even the head of state (though he may be temporarily be protected by the immunity whilst in office). The arm of the law is long and has patience but as has been proven many a times, it catches up with the perpetrators. In this case the evidence for wrongdoing by the head of state is available in digital format with all the audit trail in the cloud and highly secure and difficult to destroy. At the right time it will come out for “real” investigators, prosecutors and judges to make determination on it and the perpetrators prosecuted. Arresting the whistle blower will not make the case or the evidence go away. The horse has already bolted. Its just a matter of time before we see a few individuals being locked up one by one. Time has come to account to the people of the Republic of Malawi under its democratic rule…….where the people govern and not a tribe, region or an ethnic group.
KOMA STANDARDBANK ILI NDI MANAGEMENT, CEO AND AN EFFECTIVE IMPARTIAL BOARD?
Koma nkhani yayikulunso ndi yoti-WHO IS A DPP MOLE IN STANDARDBANK WHO IS AIDING AND ABATING CORRUPTION? Being a reputable international bank, why was the DPP allowed to open and operate a BANK ACCOUNT for a CORPORATE SOLE where one person is a signatory? Who provided the exception for normal Bank procedures that allow such corporate accounts to operate with a minimum of three signatories , what the incentives drove him or her to provide the exception?
My conclusion is STANDARDBANK NDI YA DPP pamodzi ndi banki yina ina inaba Malawi Savings Bank.
ACB why hire South African as the payment for such consultancy work will cost Malawian taxpayers more than MK145,000,000? Cost Benefit Analysis?????
now that the corruption issue is connected to the president its when you say you want to involve the external investigator, what is special with this case? To hide the truth? It has taken so many years since Njaunju died due to the same corruption issues that again involved the people in the ruling DPP but you have failed to hire the same to investigate the death of Njaunju…….therefore as you are releasing the funds to pay these external investigators, include also those of Njaunju and Robert chasowa.
The one that leaked the report is a Hero.
That Human Being took a big risk to alert Malawians on what is really going on. And now we are persecuting him instead of the culprits? Come on Malawians. I wish whatever ACB is holding on to was leaked at the same time.
Instead of taking the matter further and prosecute the wrong doers,they are busy hiring someone who leaked the document.This ACB is a joke.Why hiring an expert on a leaked document?Why they did not hire an expert on Chaponda’s case.Why the government is failing to hire the SCOTLAND YARD guys on Chasowa and Njaunji?
ACB should know that hiring experts is wasting our resources, instead you should use that money to prosecute the culprits
Fellow Malawians, APM is taking us for granted. Why is Matemba accepting this stupidity to hire South African investigators. Mind you that will take you anywhere? Do you think we will just sit and watch the one who leaked the document being prosecuted while those implicated in the report are enjoying life? A big NO don’t fool yourself. For the first time I will join those taking to streets and sacrifice my life. Matemba, what you have to understand is that the Malawi of today is completely changed. Don’t think you are clever young man.
If this report was not leaked all this could not have been known to the nation. ACB could have made sure that this should die in the “eggs” as we say in Chichewa. This leaker has done a good job of letting the nation know of something that could have been hidden from them. Instead of following him follow those who are alleged to have committed crime than the one who has warned the nation about asidzinantole.
One Malawian who leak this report defy all odds just to fight corrupt now the powers are after him, now its the duty of all Malawians who wish this country well to defend this man/woman. Some of us will not afford to sit and watch surely will take to the street. My Fellow reasonable Malawians its time to fight for our destiny, just watching will not help us at all
I support you 100%. Remaining docile will not help us
surely things are coming worse now..time to act
Lol! That’s the irony of this ACB for you!
It leaves no stone unturned to protect & exonerate thieves other than getting to the bottom of corruption issue. At least JB had to hire a UK-based consultancy firm to deal with cashgate (LESSER EVIL).
Are we surprised that all high profile cases are lost by ACB? Swiped under the carpet?
They say ‘Honesty Is The Best Policy’. With thieves in the corridors of power whatever we have on paper will NEVER WORK!
SHAME!!!