Dausi rejects Chakwera call for search on all ministers’ houses

Minister of Information and communication technology Nicholas Dausi  has said the  call by leader of opposition, Lazarus Chakwera for Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to  launch a search  and seize exercise at each and every house of the cabinet minister.

Chakwera’s call came after  ACB investigators confiscated K124 million, $57 500, 22 370 South African rands, 55 euros, 2 720 Indian rupees, 518 Ethiopian birr, 610 pula, 1 200 meticais, 1 250 Kenya shillings, 80 Hong Kong dollars, 1 010 Japanese yen, 29 Zambian kwacha and 100 Namibian dollar from former Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda’s residence in Lilongwe

The leader of opposiiton also asked Financial Intelligence Unit  to check  bank accounts of each of cabinet minister and reconcile what they have with what they declared.

But Dausi, who is also government spokesman, said the call is a ploy to undermine the independence of the ACB.

“We unequivocally reject Dr. Chakwera’s call for arbitrary searches of citizens’  houses because arbitrary use of power is the hallmark of dictatorship,” said Dausi

Dausi, a former member of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which Chakwera now leads,  said  the leader of opposition  should not promote “arbitrary use of power, anarchy and  violence.”

He said  President Peter Mutharika remains “a peaceful democrat who respects the rule  of law.”

Said  Dausi: “Nobody must take Malawi back to the days of dictatorship.”