Opposition leader calls for Malawi President Mutharika to resign over corruption allegations
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera on Monday called for President Peter Mutharika to resign over allegations he received a K145 million ( ($200,000) kickback from a K2.3 billion (about $4 million) government contract.
Chakwera told a news conference in Lilongwe after Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) leaked investigations report on transactions involving Malawi Police Service and Pioneer Investments—a firm suspected to have fraudulently supplied food rations – implicates both the President and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as beneficiaries of alleged fraudulent dealings between the Police and Pioneer Investments of Zameer Karim.
“We as MCP would like to call for the resignation of the President because he cannot continue ruling the nation and pave way for smooth investigations,” said Chakwera.
“We in the opposition have previously and tirelessly raised such issues of nauseating corruption by President Peter Mutharika’s administration,” he told journalists in a combative address.
“He needs to resign and call for early elections.”
Chakwera maintained that Malawi needs a leader with a vision to end theft and corruption.
He expressed concern that the leaders the country has currently are thieves and corrupt.
“But the truth is coming out and it will set us free.”
According to the leaked dossier, President Mutharika was a beneficiary of the fraud after Karim transferred K145 million to a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) bank account at Standard Bank where the President is the sole signatory.
The K145 million is suspected to be part of proceeds of payment which ACB has been investigating.
Mutharika has called the allegations “fake news” designed to smear him ahead of an election next year.
Presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani has subsequently dismissed allegation that the President participated in fraud, saying the funds were a donation to a DPP headquarters building project.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) under the banner of Human Rights Defenders (HRD) have called for President Peter Mutharika’s resignation within 14 days over the matter.
And United States Ambassador Virginia Palmer has said there is need for the ACB to conduct a thorough investigation without any interference.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
He only gets 40 percent of his salary..well lucky him taxpayers pay for rent..his clothes ..his food…hisb car…his trips.. His electricity..his water..his city rets…when all of us pay for those thereby paying surtax which he doesn’t pay
Vindication that the president is the prince of thieves
The prince of thieves this Dpp
To expect arrogant Mutharika to resign might be a tall order. Let’s push him to appoint a credible and independent Commission of Enquiry headed by a credible and equally independent retired judge to chair the commission. Let him prove his innocence at that hearing.
Koma abale munthu zaka 79 koma kukhalabe tsizinantole zoona izi?
Ayambe kutuluka pansi udindo amene akumanga nyumba Ku maula with unexplained source of funds.
Malawi is a doomed country led by thieves (President and Ministers) and killers (IG)
Chakwera, wait for elections. Don’t waste your time on this issue. You will end up losing elections. By the way, how will MCP gain if Mutharika resigned. Kupanga mopusa uku. Don’t listen to CSOsome.
Good intervention bwana Chakwera. But next time act swiftly other than coming behind the CSOs. You are President in waiting and people are expecting more from you.
Mutharika is a thief and very corrupt, we can’t trust him anymore as our president. He is a shame to the whole world, he should go back to where he came from. Malawians have become refuges in their own country because of his poor leadership, kuba!!