Mutharika allowed plunder of public money: Malawi ex-president must be held to account

July 28, 2020 Mike Fiko –Nyasa Times 39 Comments

Those that lived under the shed of Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s dictatorship won’t hide to you that he was an evil tyrant.

Mutharika: Must be held to account

However, when Malawians forced him out, through that historical 1994 vote, there emerged a strange narrative aimed at creating an angel in Kamuzu.

We started being told that Kamuzu was not a bad person—rather, it was people around him that were bad.

How rubbish!

Kamuzu was the tyrant of Malawi. He was responsible for everything Malawians suffered during his age.

He may, of course, not have been the one on the ground torturing and killing people; however, he created a conducive policy which his people exploited and took advantage of.

I brought the Kamuzu analogy because I have noted some striking similarities in the way Malawians are handling the issue of plunder of public resources under former president Peter Mutharika’s watch.

An apology appear to be emerging, one where some want to fool Malawians to believe that Mutharika was not involved in the plunder of public money during his reign.

The classical case in point is the way the issue of cement is being handled.

What we know is that large chunks of cement were imported from Zambia using Mutharika’s free duty status. What we didn’t know is who made the order of such a purchase.

In connection to that, police made three arrests: bodyguard Norman Chisale, businessperson Chunara and Malawi Revenue Authority former deputy director  Roza Mbilidzi.

These arrests, however, only helped the public to get to understand the rot that underpinned the cement deal. They did not, unfortunately, answer the question regarding who made the order.

We started to get closer to the answer when, Mutharika himself, came to the frontline with a a statement denying to have given anybody an order to purchase the statement.

Now look here, fellow Malawians—we are not stupid.

When the cement story appeared in the newspaper, the President, through his spokesperson then Mgeme Kalilani, responded by saying he used his duty free status. Now that push has come to the shovel, Mutharika is saying he was not involved?

Listen, fellow Malawians.

The issue of cement is just a tip on the iceberg of massive plunder of public resources—amounting to K1.3 trillion, under Mutharika’s watch.

It is a systematic plunder that, if you follow the pattern, it has every root from the Mutharika-led State House.

This apologetic narrative of removing Mutharika out and crucifying his lieutenants only is not only gibberish but also self-deluding.

It is self-deluding because we want to create an impression as if Mutharika was not in control. Well, don’t be fooled; he was directly or indirectly.

Just like Kamuzu, Mutharika may not be the one signing for fuel at Escom; but he created a corrupt policy environment which his lieutenants exploited and abused to their advantage.

So in our #PayBackOurMoney debates, let us not remove Mutharika in the equation. He is the architect and he must be held to account before he dies.

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39 replies on “Mutharika allowed plunder of public money: Malawi ex-president must be held to account”

  1. Reserve bank of Malawi, please clear the fog-who paid for this cement? Was it Chuunara, Chisale or Mutharika?

  5. Excuse me, but it is very boring when people keep mentioning the Ngwazi when they talk about evil DPP. Please keep away from castigating Ngwazi. He was the best leader Malawi has ever have. Leave him a lone and let his soul rest in peace. Right now we just need to pray that Chakwera and Chilima keep up in taking us to the dream land.

  6. I believe that Peter Munthalika is the master minder of thefty in Malawi no doubt about that,sitingakhulupirire DPP, whatever comes from DPP is bad news.Munthalika new avery move behind the scenes.Chimbava plus bodza,tinadalakwanji amalawi kumatibera choncho, amangidwe ndithu.No mercy.Aka K145 million.Bring on police food ration case and investigate it thoroughly.Amangidwe Peter Munthalika akapezeka wolakwa.No mercy

  7. Stories stories haaa probation period 5 month haaa clear the rubble. Until when?. Waistage of time again. Chilikwa nzako nkumati chigwire mnyanga. 2025 will reach while you will be in probation. Kayaaaa

  8. If mk1.3 trillion is from Audit report then it is wrong. Please, ask a chartered accountant to help interpret it.

  9. Dare to put him under house arrest you idiot and see what will happen. You are taking Lomwe people for granted. Remember we are bordering with Mozambique and you will see. Pakamwa ngati chimbudzi.Mutu ngati ng’oma ya gule wankulu

    3. But it’s not lomwe’ s who were stealing, its a pm. You are just creating a storm from a cup of tea here. Anaba anjatidwe kaya ndi mtumbuka, mchewa, Yao etc

    6. Kwasakwasa, you’re pathetic. Yuo think Mozambique can welcome thieves…!!! Kudzikwata ndi chala. Ok go there and see. We will hunt you down, right there in Mozambique until you pay back our money. Stupid thieves.

    7. A snail has a better brain. So you want to tell us your tribe is so happy with the plunder that happened in Malawi?

  10. I agree totally. APM must be held to account. And all those others that have stollen our tax money – all of them must be held to account and pay back our money.

    There are two sets of figures coming up K9.8 tn and K1.3 tn. Whatever the correct amount; the perpetrators if found guilty must go to jail. More important the money should be paid back. Their property should also be confiscated and auctioned off. Proceeds should go to Account Number One.

    And let’s not forget the previous “gates”: K1.7 bn; the jet gate; cash gate; maize gate; the K92 bn; those who torched escom house in Blantyre. All these and many more must be investigated. The money should be paid back to govt to fund development projects in this country.

  11. APM was directly involved; not indirectly. He’s a crooked fellow with shifty eyes. Remember the K145m that went into an account solely controlled by him?? So he shouldn’t fool anybody now. By the way, JB was directly involved in cashgate too. She actually received bags of cash at the state house, and declared shamelessly that the one who receives stolen goods is never at fault. As for Bingu and Bakili, well, there is not even debate whether or not they were directly responsible: every idiot on the street knows that! And Kamuzu, of course, was directly responsible for oppressing us. And I may add that he tried very hard to steal the Press Corporation on his way out. We’ve been ruled by ruthless thugs from the word go!!

  12. Up to now people are still busy criticising Mutharika instead of working on the ground to deliver promises they made.Mutharika is gone it’s time for Chakwera to show his man enough to Malawians that he can deliver his sweet promises of universal fertiliser subsidy and the list goes on and on 20 days have elapsed nothing tangible only arrests the most simplest thing one can do not challenging at all.

    1. Oh, don’t worry yourself about “stupidity of speculation”. APM will be implicated in this cement saga the same way it happened in the Pioneer food rations scandal: Through his bank accounts, whether local or foreign. When large amounts whether in MWK or USD appear in his bank accounts from Chunara or the Zambia and Zimbabwe cement suppliers APM will not be able to deny his involvement. You see, the main problem about these dubious transactions is that they leave a paper trail in the banks. You can tamper with the paper trail in your possession but not the records which the bank keep.

      Banks have records showing if A paid B. This is not much in itself, but what it means is that A must provide proof that the payment to B was for a valid transaction (approved budget, or board authorisation and payment vouchers and supporting documents). APM can run but he can’t hide…

  14. Actually, Mutharika is not lying when he says that he was not aware of the horrible shenanigans that were occurring during his watch. The dude had no clue because he was snoring on the job. The real power behind the throne, the master puppeteer, was Gertrude Mutharika.

    I posit that BEAM Trust should also be scrutinised thoroughly; it should be subjected to a complete forensic audit starting from when it was established. BEAM Trust was another inexhaustible ATM for Gertu.

  15. Just like Bingu Wa Mutharika’s mind became totally disoriented from the time Madam Calista came into his life, Peter Mutharika’s disorientation of mind can be traced back to/from the time he married the former first lady called Gertrude.(The ‘poor’ man had not lived with a woman for around 30 years!) How did the former first lady become a multi-millionaire in just under six years, becoming a proud owner of a string of newly built properties? Chances are high that she is the chief orchestrator of ‘State House’ corruption. When the long arm of the law catches up with and finds this shrewd little woman, a lot of the rot that is just being uncovered from the surface will become clearer in terms of the brains behind the unforgivable corruption that became part of the DPP government official policy. A first lady has the capacity to make or break the number One citizen. A case in point is how brilliantly Late Bingu Wa Mutharika performed in his first term of presidency while married to his first wife as the first lady.The passing on of this wise woman of rare wisdom was the undoing of the Bingu’s enviable beginning in office. Delilah of the Bible brought to his knees a man with unheard of supernatural strength (Samson was his name). I pray that Monica Chakwera and Mary Chilima will learn from these invisible traps within the corridors of wealth and power!!

  17. You are very right! Well written . On that has had 1 foot in and 1 foot out still requires scrutiny.

  18. Peter Mutharika should not bother us with statements refuting the looting which he is clearly the Architect. Let him go and defend himself in the court of law.

  19. Excuse the old man. that was the reason people wanted him to be president so that they would take advantage of him. They knew he spent more years away and was not in touch with basic Malawi issues therefore they cage ringed him so that they are able to tell him what they wanted him to hear. State capture. Similar things are happening now to Chakwera. He has already been captured by loan sharks- the mias and gaffar

  20. Kamuzu killed people but also stole a lot of money and owned most of the buildings in Blantyre along Victoria avenue the most famous being chayamba house which his family still owns up to now. Its sad the judiciary acquitted kamuzu on mwanza four murders

  21. Mike Fiko, you are spot on but you have failed to add Bakili Muluzi and Joyce Banda to the equation; (I have left Bingu because he is deceased) or else it won’t balance. Didnt massive corruption take place under Muluzi’s watch? Didn’t it happen under Joyce’s watch? Were all the cases under these people all concluded? The files are still gathering dust at ACB and the two ex presidents before Peter are walking Scot free. Some of their confidantes are also walking scot-free.bIf you don’t want to be seen not doing witch hunting, then be tough to all or avoid selective justice.

  22. According to newspaper accounts, from those that know them, both brothers didn’t have much when they set foot in Malawi. Now oozing money from their pores.

  23. At the least Mutharika should be placed under house arrest whilst investigations are conducted. The two Mutharika brothers have caused havoc to the prosperity of our country. Armed police and soldiers must be assigned to guard his residence. For Peter Mutharika has not only carried our wide scale looting himself but has condoned the looting.

    2. Did we place Joyce Banda under house arrest? All what people have with Mutharika is personal hatred. Chisale was a civil servant working at the state house , the same as all those that were working at the state house, were civil servants on government pay list. During Joyce Banada people rooted and Joyce Banda is free, and even those that facilitated are still free going to court up to now. What is the difference between Joyce Banda and Mutharika. Do you want to say all those who will be stealing under Chakwera , we should blame him. No. The president duty is not to facilitate minor issues of imports. No president will have time for that than concentrating on government business, hence he made the economy stable. Chisale has not rooted government money, but he has abused. President’s duty free status. All what he has done is to avoid paying duty. The cost of cement was paid and not by government money. If Chisale wanted to start importing should have applied for import permit and start paying duty. Mutharika has done nothing wrong, the same way as Joyce Banda is .

      1. Sorry brother Mutharika must either be arrested or placed under house arrest. Equally if there is evidence that Joyce Banda has corruptly acquired wealth, which she has then she too must be made accountable. The issue is not Mutharika but corruption. Justice is blind so it has to include Rashy Gaffar and others in Tonse.

    3. I do agree, put this self centered arrogant baboon under house arrest plz as soon as possible, b 4 he depart to join his ancestors

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