Chakwera has no case to answer, says Malawi graft-busting body
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera has been cleared by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of any wrong doing in allegations of drawing a salary without attending Parliament.
The graft-busting body said it investigated Chakwera following a complaint from an unmade legislator that the MCP presidential hopeful was receiving “illegal” salary while on parliamentary boycott.
ACB director general Reyneck Matemba said the bureau received a complaint in March that MCP leader was getting a salary while he was not attending meetings of Parliament but Chakwera has been cleared of any wrong doing.
“We saw no merit in the complaint,” said Matemba.
He said MPs are paid a salary “by virtue of being lawmakers and not because they are attending parliament.”
ACB boss said Chakwera’s action “was not tantamount to abuse of office as he was still doing other functions of the office for which he was entitled to a pay.”
Chakwera said he was not aware that he was being investigated but nonetheless said he was delighted to be cleared.
“I was still doing the job of MP in my constituency but I refused to attend Parliament,” said Chakwera.
He said when he was credited with sitting allowances in Parliament, he paid back the money.
In February 2020, Chakwera was forced by Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara – who is also deputy secretary general if MCP – to refund the allowances he drew without attending any parliamentary session.
MCP and Chakwera have refused to accept the legitimacy of governing Democratic Progress Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika as the President.
But Chakwera was not disputing parliamentary elections therefore he had no valid reason not to attend parliamentary session.
He paid back the allowances on Tuesday 11th February 11, 2020.
During the opening of the first meeting in the 48th Session of Parliament, MCP members of Parliament (MPs) showed a vote of no confidence in President Peter Mutharika’s presidency when they openly called him wakuba (thief) and walked out during the presentation of the President’s first Sona since the contested May 21 2019 poll.
The protesting MPs left bottles of Tippex on their tables, symbolising that Mutharika had won his second term with the aid of Tippex which was used to alter election results sheets.
MCP’s Lobin Lowe was elected Interim Leader of Opposition as Chakwera continue parliamentary boycott.
Chakwera has since resigned as MP to pay way for his presidential candidacy in the Juy 2 fresh presidential elections.
He has paired with State Vice President Saulos Chilima as his running mate in the elections.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
If you add chakwera/chilima votes in 2019, it’s almost 2.8 million, Peter / atupele adds up to 2.2 million votes that’s minus tippex ones, I can’t see all thiz pipo changing and voting for dpp/UDF alliance..copied
How many registered voters?
The ACB should start again investigate Bakili Muluzi, this man is the father of corruption in Malawi, the ACB should not just talk of K1,7 billion, this man had an Account in UK with the help of this white guy whom he was using in 1995. I will come with more information next time.
Waste of time. Three quarters of the MPs do not work anyway. Attending parliament is not tantamount to work. We would not be having issues affecting our societies, especially in rural areas, if our so called parliamentarians really did their work. In short, they attend parliament for show and for the daily allowance – truth be told. If these guys were instead told to work for their salaries – say they must each and every month present 10 issues raised by their constituents and how they resolved them or how they intend to resolve them and then earn an allowance… Read more »
Bwana Chakwera, inuyo zanu zinayera basi kunatha. Ulendo waku state house uwu. God bless u
Investigating without concert of the owner kkkkkkkkk really Mr Reneck Matemba. This is too embarrassing to dpp interim govt. Mbava za pa microphone zija zimaba dzuli phwee scot free really!!!!!! EEEEEESH MY LORD HAVE MERCY ON US. Keep us safe until 2 July, 2020.
Isaiah Chapter 91 verse 7, ndi pomwe o Dr. Chakwera omatsamira.
Ena okugwa, ena onyera, koma o Dr. Chakwera ali njii, ndipo wa m’Boma July, 2020 uno.
Warning to you lot…….Musamasewere ndi anthu opemphera, anthu a Mulungu, musamayerekeze kuwakhudza.
Any weapon formed against Dr. Chakwera will never prosper. Dzikubwerera nokha. Mukunya.
It is Psalm 91 verse 7 not lsaiah 91 verse 7 as previously described…..pomwe o Dr. Chakwera amatsamira.
Psalm 91 verse 7.
Its fine tit for tat is coming soon after July 2. Please I am saying please I do not want someone to say the arrest is politically motivated. Mwaba ndipo mwaba ndipo pa 6 July tikufuna dpp itibwezere misonkho yathu period zovutana vutana ayi.
Toothless acb, no tangible case in decades. Acb should just be closed because they are not preventing corruption at all. Instead of ACB we can bring back the special branch which used o be part of Malawi police forces.
Though you have cleared this man, he will still remain with stigma for receiving pay without work. He is a their like his running mate.
A Nyasa amalora Chichewa. Mawa mudzalembe chichewa kapena chilakkhulo chanu ngati sindinu Nchewa.
Mukutichitsa manyazi ndi umbuli wanu. Kuyambira ndemangayo komanso chizungucho eish kkkkk
Some people are very daft, the reason given for investigation was so trivial. Tit for tat will never work.Employees put down their tools when things are not going well in their organisation, but that does not mean they cannot be paid their salaries since they have not left their organisation. The aim of the a demonstration is to get things corrected – period.