Malawi ex-minister Uladi sentenced to 6 years in jail over passport scandal: Nyekhwe!

October 22, 2020 Wongani Chiuta - Nyasa Times 43 Comments

The High Court in Lilongwe  has sentenced former cabinet minister Uladi Mussa  to six years in jail after he was found guilty in a corruption trial linked to the  passport case.

Uladi Mussa has been sentenced to six years imprisonment.
Nyekhwe: Uladi off to prison for six year

Mussa, who served as Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security during the two-year tenure of president Joyce Banda between April 2012 and May 2014, was convicted alongside former senior immigration officer David Kwanjana for aiding foreign nationals to enter into the country illegally.

Justice Chifundo Kachale, who is also Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, presided over the case and found Mussa and others guilty and convicted them. He passed the sentence on Thursday afternoon.

Mussa, 55, was found guilty of abuse of public office, neglect of duty and altering false documents alongside former regional immigration officer David Kwanjana.

Two other people, who were co-accused in the case, were acquitted.

The charge of abuse of office carries a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment  but the judge handed  Mussa and Kwanjana a similar sentence of five  years imprisonment  and one year for the offence of neglect of official duties .The two sentences will run concurrently, meaning that he will serve a five-year jail term.

Kamudoni Nyasulu, a private prosecutor engaged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB),  said the conviction and sentence  is setting in place a legal precedent.

Nyasulu, who previously served as Director of Public Prosecutions and has worked for the United Nations special tribunals as a prosecutor, said: “The law requires that a public officer’s actions must not be arbitrary, but must follow the law and procedures.”

The former minister, who is DPP vice-president (Central Region),  was conspicuously grumpy after the sentence.

In July 2019, the United States of America Department of State banned Mussa and his spouse from visiting that country for his “involvement in significant corruption” in what an analysts described as a statement to authorities on fighting corruption.

At the time, Mussa, who had just been appointed president Peter Mutharika’s special adviser on parliamentary affairs, said he was surprised with the USA decision because the matter in court was yet to be concluded.

But the US Embassy in Lilongwe justified the decision against Mussa when the case was not concluded, saying the USA had acted “following credible information” that he was involved in significant corruption while serving as a Cabinet minister.

Mussa was arrested in March 2017 on charges of negligence and abuse of office while serving as interim leader of People’s Party (PP) in the absence of party president Joyce Banda. He described the arrest at the time as politically-motivated. He later joined DPP and recently confirmed his ambition to vie for the former governing party’s presidency to replace Peter Mutharika.

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43 replies on “Malawi ex-minister Uladi sentenced to 6 years in jail over passport scandal: Nyekhwe!”

  1. Uladi Mussa shouldn’t complain too much. Yes, the first few weeks of prison life will be very tough. But he will soon be joined by another Mussa and, together, they will keep each other company and “kill” time by telling each other stories about the good ole days….

  2. This is stern warning to all those in power now ,trade carefully, work hard and work smart. What we soar today will leap tomorrow. You may think that public is blind but the records have been set that when a party or group of individuals are in power everything wrong is presumed right until the right time comes.

  3. The artifacts of Tonse Alliance .The art of finishing DPP.Anyway this will backfire.Tonse trying to silence DPPs strong gurus.Believe me or NOT the whole rotten and bribed judiciary will be cleansed come 2025.We will make sure that these all judges by that time will have finished dying one by one .Starting Nyirenda thats your message .Please take it whether yu like it or not.You will have died and NOT RETIRED!!!

  4. A good precedence indeed. Inunso mulipo lero konzekani kudzalowa ku ndende ngati simusamala because what we know vividly in malawi is that whenever a party is on seat of power it becomes difficult to make arrests for its loyalists but time will come when such powers will go and the law shall take its course. Be on the watch!!!!

  6. I feel sorry for Uladi. 5 years is a long period of time. But what else could the judge have done?
    Henry Myssa and Thom Mpinganjira be ware.

  8. Nkayidi Uladi Mussa was arrested in 2017 but he immediately changed goal posts to dpp and became vice president for the Centre beating Ntaba. The nkayidi thought that he run away from justice. June 23 changed things and the case was still on. From a minister in all stupid parties that destroyed this country to nkayidi. What an end for “chenji golo”!

  9. Action speaks louder than words! The arrest of the hitherto untouchables will send a clear message that “corruption does not pay and no one is above the Law!” Kudos to the ACB and the Judiciary…all Malawians of good will should support these institutions! For the DPP and Uladi Mussa…simunati mulira misozi kudzadza nyanja! We warned this party against corruption and all they were saying was “bring evidence!”. Two of your 3 regional governors now jailed for corruption. Birds of the same feathers flock together! Thank God DPP is out of power otherwise Uladi Mussa and Mzomera would have been free continuing with their corrupt practices. DPP should NEVER rule Malawi again!!

  11. 6×12= 72 Months nde pamayambila kulilako kkkkkkkk.

    psa koka zayambila kuncila zinthuzi. ife mpaka 2 yrs tikaendera pasport kuti ituluke. tinangosiya popeza aku ofesi amafuna ati ya mmanja kuti ituluke ngati kuti io amaitumiza dziko lina kuti ipangidwe. yet omwe anajudula machine kumapanga ofesi ya mmanyumba.
    Tinangosiya poti ndalama zinathera transport yomakaendera ngati pasport ili reasy. boma la PITALA MUNTHALIKA limenelo
    nde kuli que tsopano.
    1 by 1 anatelo oimba.

    MUNYA MUONA.
    mukuitha ma jaji. ife mitima ikukhazikika pan’gonopan’gono ndithu as we are kukankhila citsogolo. apa zayambikila kuncila.

  12. congrats to malawi judiciary. but am here to complain about our govt selection use of bible. galatians 5:19-20 says witches[mfiti] will not inherit God’s kingdom. but our govt vehemently says witchcraft do not exist. should we say bible is misleading or our govt is at fault? currently some people who have fallen victim of this practices[witchcraft] have taken law into their hands and fought against this long denied fact b killing suspected witches[which i do not support] but i think its long time our govt should accept this bible backed fact and work on protecting all. as it is now our laws support and back witches and putting many people at risk. mob justice against witches will end once people see them punished by law.

  13. So the Judiciary is independent after all. Never thought we would see a day when we would be reminded that everyone is equal before the law

  14. Good that justice is being delivered but its unfortunate that is selectively done. Those in the Tonse govt now are untouchables even though they were part of the DPP corrupt team.

  18. Never thought I would live to see this day! …..Malawi Judiciary is the real deal!….. MUCH RESPECT

  19. Komanso osakakamila za Israel
    Iwe kumamva
    Kumamva tikuti kumamva
    Kumalawitu ambili sadziwa zakuipa kwama Jews
    Ndipo apa azingoona ngati ndikungobwebweta
    Ma jew ndi anthu achinyengo koopsa
    Olemba nkhani kumalawi
    Samalemba zoona zake zamajew amakopa kusiyana ndi ku South Afrika

    1. Iziso ndizo ziti Nkhwele iwe? ukhaula ife go konko ku Jerusalem uphulike ndiwe ndipo ukwiye kwambiri tsono. Chimutu chachikulucho

  21. It’s a New Dawn indeed, it’s a new Malawi, I’m really loving this, proud to be a Malawian, a lot if people are shaking in their pants right now👏👏👏👏

    1. True , Malawians are drawing lessons from this that no matter how long it may take , if you did something wrong or corrupt the arm of the law will catch up with you

  22. Analakwadi
    Komananga zikuchedwa bwanji za NTUNDA Bakili
    Inunso musamangotiimba.
    Kaliyati,JB,Roza Mbilizi,Getu Maseko,awa aState House/Hotel gate ndi ena ochuluka.
    Osajowa aliyense,
    Please please.

    3. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 concurrently means will serve together (kuyendera pamodzi)so its 5 yrs

  26. 5 years and one year running concurrently does not mean 6 years. It remains five years. Our journalists please.

  29. Mumusoketsere suit yoyera ngati mphale. Kabudula wopanda lisani. Pamene Uladi Mussa akutuluka mu bwalo Thom Mpinganjira akonzeke. Inu a Henry Mussa musatalikire. DPP ndi imene idakumangani inu a Mzomera ndi Uladi. Ikadakhala MCP mwenzi mukuti politically motivated. Ayi ndithu zinthu zimasinthadi. Lero Uladi angakhale nkayidi?

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