Chilima under intense pressure to resign following hard hitting graft report
June 22, 2022
Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 16 Comments
Vice President Saulos Chilima is under intense pressure to resign after his name appeared on the list of senior Government officials who allegedly received money and other gifts from corruption kingpin, Zuneth Sattar.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera said on Tuesday evening that apart from Chilima, no other cabinet minister has been named in the infamous Sattar list report.
He was addressing Malawians on a corruption report from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Chilima making his UTM promises to fight and jail all corrupt persons
Ckakwera has since said he has since withheld delegated duties to the Vice President until the matter is investigated.
Chilima raised the bar of morality very high during presidential campaigns citing public lectures on “Moral Decadence and Mindset Change.”
However, Malawians have taken up in various social media platforms, asking Chilima to step aside to pave way for smooth investigations on the matter.
Chilima is also named in another report in the United Kingdom which says he might have benefitted from Sattar’s corrupt money.
The ACB report says for four years between 2017 and 2021, the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force awarded 16 contracts worth over US$150 million to five companies belonging to Sattar.
It also says a total of 53 public officers and former public officers allegedly received money from Mr. Sattar, another set of 31 individuals from the private sector, the media, civil society, and the legal fraternity also received money from Mr. Sattar, bringing the total of those on the Bureau’s list to 84.
Among the 84 individuals who allegedly received money from Mr. Sattar in 2021, the ACB report says, there are 13 that the Bureau says have been extensively investigated to the point of concluding that they conducted themselves corruptly in dealing with the businessman.
And four of the 13 include the Vice President, the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service and the Chief of Staff for State Residences,” says the report.
“The Bureau has found that beyond the 84 individuals who allegedly received money from Mr. Sattar in 2021, his associate also kept a record of all the persons who allegedly received money from Mr. Sattar from 2008 to 2020 but the report does not include any of the names of those found in the 14 ledgers that contain this information,” reads the report in part.
The report says ledger books confiscated from Mr. Sattar’s associate include donations to politicians from all major political parties in the country.
President Lazarus Chakwera says that Zuneth Sattar’s corruption is deeply entrenched and it has affected a number of sectors.
The report says public officers from Malawi Defence Force (MDF), Malawi police, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Office of President and Cabinet, Office of the Vice President, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Judiciary, Ministry of Finance, Ministry Information, Ministry Tourism, Homeland Security, allegedly received bribes from Zuneth Sattar between March 2021-October 2021.
Of course this is intensive pressure and we want him to raise up the hands or to surrender himself this is totally nonsensical.And there’s no need of knowing other thieves because we already know the Mafia and please Mr President step him aside immediately
Truth
1 year ago
I put all the blame to Dr Muluzi, when he was in office he used to say “Kumachenjela pa town, pamene dzanja lako likufika, chita zomwezo bola changu pa malo. Hearing those sentiments from the president, Malawians instantly changed their mindset and started stealing from both the public and private coffers and up to now there’s a high rate of corruption in this country. It’s high time we change our mindset if we are to progress as a Nation.
Ahmed
1 year ago
Who will bell the cat when the cat is wild???
Francis Singano
1 year ago
This is very bad for Malawi we need to restart our country.
bahate
1 year ago
why mention only four out of 13 or 84? where are the rest?
Just Google the President speech and hear for yourself, simple.
The answer is there don’t be troubled.
Pastor Jeremiah Distone
1 year ago
May God continue to fight for us as malawians, we have struggles for long time, every one is involved in corruption and bribes must be arrested for good, may God be praised, and make Malawi a better place to live
James Phiri
1 year ago
Is Sattar the only business person that employed these corrupt practices to secure govt contracts? Almost all businesses that secure contracts are giving some back handed payments to those making procurement decisions. ACB look into govt contracts more recently awarded and you find similar practices with a new list of people benefiting.
I am a recent visitor to Malawi and working with government officials. I have found them to be straight forward and the most honest I have encountered in any African country.
There was no talk of bribes for any contract, in fact, it was just the opposite. They want to do what’s best for the country!
Oscar kachale
1 year ago
We will see how it ends
Richard James
1 year ago
It seems as if we are not patriotic enough to develop our mother Malawi.
It’s time to give room to a mindset change and start loving our country
Hahahahaha tiziona
Of course this is intensive pressure and we want him to raise up the hands or to surrender himself this is totally nonsensical.And there’s no need of knowing other thieves because we already know the Mafia and please Mr President step him aside immediately
I put all the blame to Dr Muluzi, when he was in office he used to say “Kumachenjela pa town, pamene dzanja lako likufika, chita zomwezo bola changu pa malo. Hearing those sentiments from the president, Malawians instantly changed their mindset and started stealing from both the public and private coffers and up to now there’s a high rate of corruption in this country. It’s high time we change our mindset if we are to progress as a Nation.
Who will bell the cat when the cat is wild???
This is very bad for Malawi we need to restart our country.
why mention only four out of 13 or 84? where are the rest?
Just Google the President speech and hear for yourself, simple.
The answer is there don’t be troubled.
May God continue to fight for us as malawians, we have struggles for long time, every one is involved in corruption and bribes must be arrested for good, may God be praised, and make Malawi a better place to live
Is Sattar the only business person that employed these corrupt practices to secure govt contracts? Almost all businesses that secure contracts are giving some back handed payments to those making procurement decisions. ACB look into govt contracts more recently awarded and you find similar practices with a new list of people benefiting.
Com
I am a recent visitor to Malawi and working with government officials. I have found them to be straight forward and the most honest I have encountered in any African country.
There was no talk of bribes for any contract, in fact, it was just the opposite. They want to do what’s best for the country!
We will see how it ends
It seems as if we are not patriotic enough to develop our mother Malawi.
It’s time to give room to a mindset change and start loving our country