Public officers derailing Bingu wealth probe – Menyani

Malawi Parliament says public officers are derailing probe into former president Bingu wa Mutharika’s K70 billion wealth believed to be stashed in offshore accounts.

Alekeni Menyani, chairperson of of Public Accounts Committee of parliament says his committee feels let down by the public officers.

“We summoned them in February but we received so many excuses. Some of them said they were ill, others said either they were on leave or were outside the country,” said Menyani.

He said his committee summoned officials from the office of the Attorney General, graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Menyani however said the officials would be summoned again.

ACB deputy director Reyneck Matemba said the bureau sent the director of investigations Dan Mponda last time they were called.

“Mr Mponda is a senior officer here. If we are called again, and if both the director and myself are busy then we will send another equally senior person,” said Matemba. ]

The director of FIU said her organisation will give the information which it gave in February. “Nothing will change. We deal with banks and there are some issues we cannot say before the committee because of issues of privacy,” she said.

Bingu wa Mutharika was elected president in 2004 and declared he has wealth worth K150 million. He died in 2012 just two years before the end of his term of office.