Chakwera demands probe for all ministers’ wealth, presidential aides: ‘Nankhumwa is being shielded despite objective evidence of corruption’
Leader of opposition Lazarous Chakwera has accused State President Peter Mutharika of losing focus and precision in his bid of dealing with corruption, saying it is evident that the Head of State is taking some section of his Ministers as sacred cows.
Chakwera, who is also president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), said this when he addressed a news conference on Friday at his Parliament office in the capital Lilongwe.
He gave examples on his claim, saying President Mutharika owes an explanation to Malawians on why he has not fired Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa for his dubious involvement over the botched Ashok Leyland deal with Malawi Defence Force (MDF).
Recently the self styled cash-rich Nankhumwa was also sUmmoned by the corruption bursting body ACB for the obscene donation to his constitituency during the time the country is facing financial difficulties.
“Hon. Kondwani Nankhumwa allegedly overrode the advice of the Attornery General and allegedly awarded a license in a dubious manner to Lacell. Besides, a MK20 million donation from Macra allegedly ended up in the hands of his cousin Mayeso Chipyoza who is now in China on government sponsorship and on top of that Nankhumwa is allegedly involved in the Malawi Army vehicles procurement saga in a purported deal with Ashok Leyland involving US$54 million and yet Mutharika is doing nothing and nothing now should we believe him to fight corruption,?” querried Chakwera.
Chakwera, who accused Mutharika of treating corruption with kid gloves, demanded investigations for all Ministers and allow ACB to investigate his personal aides who have amassed alot of wealth within shortest period.
“The President’s own aides have amassed a lot of unexplained wealth within a short period of time. A simple life style audit would uncover fraud and corruption in the acquisition of such unexplained wealth .
“The DPP government championed the K577 billion cashgate (reduced to K236 billion) which to date Mutharika is doing nothing about. To date nothing is being done about the 13 files that were reportedly handed over to the ACB and connecting 7 ministers to the MK577 billion cashgate. It is alleged that the DPP directly benefitted from the MK500 million that was lost from the Southern Region Water Board and yet there is nothing happening on the ground, this clearly shows that corruption has been institutionalized in this DPP Government,” said Chakwera.
He said:“We demand the President to immediately direct the Financial Intelligence Authority to examine the personal bank accounts of every member of APM’s Cabinet; and also the National Intelligence Bureau to place every member of his Cabinet under surveillance until the Malawian people are given assurances that no other minister of government is using their position to conduct undocumented transactions for personal enrichment.”
But in an interview Government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said the entire ministers cannot be investigated because of a single incident.
Dausi said Government is an institution and not about individuals.
Chakwera said Malawians will not trust Mutharika if he continues aligning himself with people of questionable characters.
” Ishmael Chioko was dubiously identified to act as CEO for MERA when he is answering charges of money laundering in one of the infamous cashgate cases.Mr Richard Makondi who is DPP’s National Organising Secretary has recently been appointed in one of the para-statal boards and yet a warrant of arrest is hanging over his head in case number 351 of 2016. Richard Makondi and Mr Muhammed [of Globe Electronics] allegedly defrauded Malawi Government in a deal with Toyota Malawi,” he said.
Chakwera also urged Mutharika to fire the Reserve Bank Governor and others for lying before the oath.
“We demand that President Mutharika takes disciplinary measures to publicly censure officials of the Malawi Government who are paid by Malawian tax-payers, including Mr. Charles Chuka, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Mr. Henry Mathanga, the Director of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Ms. Madalo Nyambose of the Ministry of Finance, and Mrs. Erica Maganga in the Ministry of Agriculture, for committing perjury by lying to the Parliamentary Committee about their knowledge of the Kaloswe Ltd-Admarc contract, despite giving their testimony under oath. Until Mutharika does this, he has done nothing.”
Chakwera has since demanded that the President immediately come to Parliament to give a full report of the progress of all that he has demanded.
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Thats a nice idea you the opp president,continue to talk for us the voiceless people.
Chaponda is a habitual fraudster. In 2013 he wanted to use his wifes Medical Aid for treatment of his sister at Mwaiwathu. He was politely censured via a letter.
Now have other questionable characters fired at MRA for fradulent activities being deployed at EGENCO in very important and financially sensitive positions… pressure from DPP.
Peter cannot stop corruption..period, tonse tawona…for him being a president is part of his retirement….may God save malawi
Dr chakwera its good that u have an ear to the ground .ur reaving to us what is hiden.all dpp cabinet minister are corrupt who don’t think about poor malawian but to enrich themselvies.chakwera ur next president. Fear not talk where its due.
A Chakwera inu, just barking and barking. Tiyeni tione the legality and practicality of your demands. I have never seen a dull leader of opposition who is just reactionary on petty hearsay. Tell us the concrete formula for Malawi’s development.
This is the way to go Dr Chakwera. You have been snoring on the job for quite some time and this is the time to take Mutharika and his DPP head on. Malawi belongs to all of us and NOT Chaponda alone.
I still have tough time to understand why CSO’s, opposition leaders amd the country at large still demands the President to issue directives to respective intelligence and investigating institutions on various corrupt related issues and yet cry foul over independence of such institutions though….such invwstigative institutions must rather be rallied to being independent of any political power that be as such directives defeat the whole independe nce calls.