MP Mkandawire attacks deputy speakers on illegal allowances
Outspoken Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire systematically hijacked debate on the State of the Nation Address to demand an explanation on reports that the First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka-Chilenje and Second Deputy Speaker Clement Chiwaya allegedly fleeced government huge sums of money in dubious house allowance claims.
The unsuspecting second deputy speaker Chiwaya gave a chance to Mkandawire to contribute to the President Peter Mutharika speech only to be surprised that Mkandawire demanded answers from Chiwaya on the allowances.
Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya on Monday ruled that the legislators could not debate on the allowance issue but parliament has referred it to relevant government departments.
The two deputy speakers Esther Mcheka Chilenje and Chiwaya himself are accused of pocketing up to K500 000 a month in dubious house allowances.
But Mkandawire demanded to know which government departments were handling the matter.
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has confirmed that the matter is under investigation.
Edge Kanyongolo, an associate professor of law at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, told a local press that parliament should endeavour to recover what the two deputy speakers “unjustly got from taxpayers”.
Said Kanyongolo: “Anything short of that [recovery] will be setting a bad precedent for future occupants of the offices.”
A letter dated October 9 2015 from acting Clerk of Parliament Reynard Mapemba to the two deputy speakers said the commission had resolved that effective September 2015 they will be paid a monthly housing allowance of K250 000 each.
What is ACB doing.Even if they pay back money, they should face justice.Remember Mwawa case,Timpuza saga,Late Tumalisye scenario etc.
This woman from her own mouth she said she is untouchable and not anybody can just wake up kwawoko n kukampatsila suspend.nde munthu oopseza choncho anga open ndani.azingonyenga Tiana to. Achina Ben mantha mulibe .mu siine Goodall nkhalambai
What is ACB waiting for here? This is an open-and-shut case which can be concluded withing minutes. Malawi will never develop with this type of thinking. These two deputies are thieves are they need to be treated as such, period.
These two Deputy Speakers should be suspended immedeately. Koma if tikuwasekelerea.
No one is perfect in Malawi government, even the ACB, Police, CSO’s, Human rights defenders etc they are all thieves. Tiyeni tizingoyang’ana nanga sizonse zikumachokera kwa a President ndiye mumati ma junior asasuse akawona kuti pali nsuzi wanyama????
You see folks, Democracy should not be the reason to plunder Government coffers. When Kamuzu was President, there was nothing as silly as all this. From what has happened so far thus blowing these billions all these people mentioned would have lost their jobs. At least we expected suspensions to those Leaders that break the laws and those that blow billions without using common sense. Common sense for a Leader could mean averting all these expenses at the time when economy is not right. Thus averting salary increases, buying expensive cars, spending much on rentals thus hiring cars etc. in… Read more »
This is parliamentgate kuba basi wat next ACB?
Where is the attack? Demanding answers on alleged theft of public resources is an attack? This country is full of mediocre citizens and it deserves to be one of the poorest in the universe. Wina ndi uyu #1 Mlongosi who chooses to play the tribal card instead of debating the issue. In a civilised country these speakers would have been suspended pending investigation. A televised interrogation would have taken place for tax payers to hear for themselves.
after 2 months, the very meek, weak-minded, silly and complacent malawian taxpayer will forget this robbery ever happened. mayiko a anzanthu oganiza amayika munthu otoma pa suspension ma investigation akamachitika kuti munthuyo asapinde ma file, but alas in this country of dead men walking, atomi ali phwii m’mipando yopanga malamulo a dziko. ena ndiye a lawyer aja okuti ali ndi milandu yovuta heavy yet akuloledwa kukhala legal counsel wa zigananga zina. one week ali pa mlandu, next week ali ku chipatala, week after that akupanga defend munthu wina. i’m fucking fed up with this nonsense. asilamu akanapanga kale ‘day of… Read more »
Unfortunately we tolerate nonsense, even if we know that the intention was evil.