Mutharika wealth to be probed –Attorney General
Malawi government will probe the wealth of late president Bingu wa Mutharika to estashlish any wrongful enrichment in the deceased estate, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara has said.
The Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Malawi have been demanding government to probe the value of late Mutharika’s wealth amassed during his time in power and how he acquired it.
There has been speculation that the late Mutharika accumulated too much wealth during the eight years he was president. He is reported to have money and property both in Malawi and outside in billions of kwacha.
Kasambara speaking on Capital FM Straight Talk programme Tuesday evening said “it is viable cause” for government to probe Mutharika’s properties, business interests and money in bank accounts to clear speculation on his assets.
“We would want to find out from Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) whether they have got any case on the estate of Mutharika,” said Kasambara.
He said “the public have a right to know, they have a right to hold the public office holders accountable.”
Kasambara said government is persuaded by the “public opinion calling for accountability.”
Mutharika died at the time CSOs were pushing for the declaration of sources of funds he used to build his multi-million mansion at Ndata Farm in Thyolo.
“Personally I would like to see that there is both economic accountability and human rights accountability,” Kasambara who has been voicing for the investigations of the authenticity of Mutharika wealth before being appointed to his position.
University of Malawi’s Chancellor College associate professor of law Edge Kanyongolo said recently in the press that “people can still find ways of asking questions on how [Mutharika’s] wealth was accumulated” through the administrator of his estate when it is disclosed.
The Attorney General also said the probe will be extended to “all those who wielded power who served in the Bingu wa Mutharika administration.
He said: “Malawians have got the constitution right to information, Malawians they have got constitutional right of effective remedy, and Malawians have constitutional right to their public officer being accountable.”
Adding: “Accountability is one of the elements of rule of law.”
Kasambara said probing wrongful self enrichment and any abuse of office would not be witch-hunting.
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