Mulli accuses activist of prejudicing case of K8bn claim: ‘Kajoloweka is a mere pig’

Business magnet Leston Mulli has said he is indeed reacted angrily to  Youth and Society (YAS) executive director Charles Kajoloweka after he after he commented on the  K8 billion claim from a civil cause number 474 of 2012, where Chombe Foods Limited and Sunrise Pharmaceuticals Limited both belonging to Mulli.

Kajoloweka called  for transparency into how the case is being handled.

But in a telephone interview with Nyasa Times from Conakry where Mulli said he was in transit going to Malawi, the business taycoon said was amused with the activist for his comments, saying  he  was  intentionally prejudicing a court case.

“I was awarded compensation during the time of president Joyce Banda by the courts, why did he not join the case that time. The Joyce Banda government stopped me from doing any business, they investigated me but never find any wrong doing. I am a clean businessman, an employer of thousands people a big tax payer,” said Mulli.

Mulli Holdings Limited claimed K3.1 billion after its food processing and pharmaceutical firms were damaged in the July 20 2011 public demonstrations.

His firms are seeking about K8 billion as interests in business lost in 2013.

“No one is stopped to seek justice in the courts,” said Mulli.

Kajoloweka claimed on Facebook that he received a phone call he believed was from Mulli  warning him of his impending death.

But when asked Mulli said he was only absolutely furious  to Kajoloweka, accusing him of actively seekingto influence the proceedings of the case.

“He should not prejudice the case. There others who have received compensations like Dean Lungu why always talk about Mulli,” he said.

Mulli said Kajoloweka should not be  “mixing political activisim with business issues”, saying President Peter Mutharika should not be dragged in the matter.

“He is a mere pig who has nothing in the society. This clears show this guy is a crook and misguided person. If he was clever he could not be commenting on a matter in court,” said charged Mulli.

But Kajoloweka said his organisation’s observations are that the claims by Mulli owned firms and circumstances in which such claims are handled by the Attorney General and the Judiciary “raise deep questions on the rule of law, openness, transparency, accountability and good governance.”

The civil society organisation  suspect that matter  is “plainly another organised malfeasance” to defraud the public purse.

“YAS believes that the people of Malawi deserve full disclosure on how this case has been handled firstly by the Attorney General and secondly by the Judiciary. It is YAS’s belief that the constitutional order that the people of Malawi adopted in 1994 calls for a Malawi steeped in a culture of rule of law, openness, transparency, accountability and good governance,” Kajoloweka.

Governance expert Makhumbo Munthali said  the issue of the alleged death threats against human rights defenders and public intellectuals is not new in the recent past.

“We have seen media reports of opposition politicians, journalists, activists and in some cases members of the academia who comment on politics indicating that they are receiving death threats but this has not received the much needed urgent attention from relevant authorities and Police,” said Munthali.

According to YAS sources, Kajoloweka  was taking precautions for his safety.