Livingstonia Synod implores on Chakwera to match corruption fight talk with action

Livingstonia Synod of Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) has implored on President Lazarus Chakwera match the anti-corruption rhetoric with action to ensure speedy prosecution of cases and recover the ill-gotten wealth.

The synod’s outgoing general secretary Levi Nyondo speaking on Sunday at Mpherembe congregation in Mzimba where the church graduated 16 clerics in marriage issues, said the church is “impressed” with arrests of corruption suspects.

Days into the Chakwera presidency following his election in the court-ordered June 23 Fresh presidential Elections, there were arrests galore of people, especially in the public service, in connection with some transactions that raised eyebrows.

But now with all suspects out on bail, the cases have stalled.

Nyondo said the synod hopes government will recover the money.

“Government has started on a good note, especially on arresting people who stole from the public purse. We encourage them to do more because the money they stole can help many Malawians,” said Nyondo.

Chakwera’s spin doctor, the State House director of communication Sean Kampondeni told a news conference on Monday that the public should exert pressure on investigation agencies and the Judiciary to speed up the wheels of justice.

But commentators have differed with Kampondeni’s assertion, arguing that the buck stops with the President who has the duty to ensure that justice is seen to be done without necessarily interfering with the process.

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has since written Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale asking why government is delaying in concluding cases despite the many arrests it has made.

“For example, the Supreme Court recently released Mr. Norman Paulos Chisale, inter alia, because he is yet to be charged in a court of law. We can cite other examples like Collins Magalasi, Peter Mukhitho, Roza Mbilizi, Godfrey Itaye [Cash Madam – Dorothy Shonga] and many others,” he said.

During his inauguration on July 6 in Lilongwe, President Lazarus Chakwera promised to clear the rubble of corruption in Malawi which he said has in recent decades ruined the country’s taxes.

There are so many cases from as far back as 2013 during the Cashgate scandal that the law enforcement has to deal with. Some of the criminal cases include the Zameer Karim fraud case and albino killings investigations that implicated former president Peter Mutharika’s aide Heatherwick Ntaba.

Meanwhile, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has given HRDC an update of progress on complaints the human rights body has been filing.

ACB, according to the update Nyasa Times has seen, updated HRDC on a complaint that Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) flouted procurement procedures and regulations in the procurement of mobile laboratory fuel testing van in a contact it had with City Motors at a contact sum of K704 million.

The corruption busting body reports that investigations commenced and are progressing well and hinted they expect to conclude them by end of October 2020.

ACB updated HRDC that in the case of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), where a suspicion was raised that it awarded a contract to Shenzen Intermeter Co Ltd to supply meters and meter boxes under the support of influential political figures, investigations are also expected to be concluded by end of October 2020.

The bureau further updated HRDC that it expects to conclude investigation by end of November 2020 in an allegation that Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) in Area 3 was suspected to have corruptly transferred a housing estate to two businesspersons, Mustaq Chothia and Suleman Ismael Karim.

It was alleged the two have also been allocated land near Kamuzu Central Hospital roundabout in Lilongwe and in Area 15 and Area 3.

Investigations against Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) are expected to be concluded by December 2020 according to the ACB update to HRDC.

The cases include suspicion that the regulatory body gave Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) an institution’s motor vehicle, Toyota Hilux, BS 962, bought a KIA Sportage, BU 5780, and gave it to former Cabinet minister Nicholas Dausi and another one, BU 2220, to Justin Saidi, the then secretary for Information, among other allegations.

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