Treasury Czar Ben Botolo risks arrest for contempt of court

Secretary to Treasury Ben Botolo risks arrest for contempt of court after he failed to turn up for a court hearing at the High Court in Zomba over pensions for retired Malawi Defence Force  (MDF) soldiers.

Botolo: Did not turn up

High Court judge Redson Kapindu summoned Botolo to explain to the court why the government was failing to pay pension money to some soldiers who retired from MDF five years ago.

Instead of attending to the court hearing, Botolo instead sent the director of pensions in the ministry of Finance who explained to the court what the government was doing about the issue.

However, this did not go down well with the ex-soldiers’ lawyer Sunduzwayo Madise who applied for Botolo’s contempt of court charges.

“Today, the court was hearing the contempt of court case. He can be jailed for up to two years or fined if found guilty,” said Madise.

Madise, who took up the case in 2013, said the government has now started processing the pension money for the former MDF soldiers.

Govt., US to decide on projects

under new MCC compacts

BY OWEN KHAMULA

US ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer said a team of experts America will jet into the country early next year to assess and discuss with the Malawi government projects to be undertaken under the new development compact by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

Malawi has been approved to seek another MCC, a United States of America government agency after it successfully completed the first compact of K259 billion (US$350 million) energy project which closed on September 21, 2018.

“A couple of teams will come in the country early next year to decide the biggest constraint on Malawi development, last time it was energy, this time it can be irrigation, rural power but the government of Malawi will decide,” said Palmer.

She said rural feeder roads is another constraint to Malawi development, saying the government might decide to take even more than one project.

Symon Itaye, the chairman of the Millennium Challenge Account Board in Malawi said the second compact project might not be in energy.

“Let us wait and see, we will have to make thorough consultations on this,” said Itaye.

Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe said president Peter Mutharika learnt the news of the new compact with delight, saying the country scored 65 per cent on tackling corruption to the scorecard  in the first compact.

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Bob
Bob
5 years ago

Its Tricky simply because MDF is regarded as a stand alone entity despite getting funds from government. Ben has no direct control on affairs of the army are concerned. look at the Lands of Malawi act

Kibaki
Kibaki
5 years ago

Mr Bottle, what the hail is this that you are trying to demean our esteemed courts. You must be arrested indeed! Bwana Madise, teach this rat some good lessons so that apumbwa ena should learn from him.

manyozo
manyozo
5 years ago

So want to summon a person yet the issue is between government and Ex-Soldiers who never received their dues. Government is a system not one person. A Madise, you mean if Botolo dies today, case ingathe? think please! and a Nyasatimes make sure all content of edited posts are removed for new content dont mix articles please

RESEARCH
RESEARCH
5 years ago

He is the very same man who has masterminded the firing of Accountant General after failing to agree on whom to contract on procurement of new IFMIS. POISON

Kalulu Wadwala
Kalulu Wadwala
5 years ago

Well done America. Don’t care to leave it in the hands of govt. They will loot all the donor money.

Mufwa Mkandawire _ Mulanje Boy

Ben Botolo should be arrested. This guy is always adamant and even with a simple issue addressed to him, he doesn’t attend to and he doesn’t response. What Ben Botolo should know is that nobody is above the law.

For his information, he is on that helm because of politics and mind you politics including parties come and go. He mus trade very carefully otherwise the world is watching him. Sooner than later, he will be out of that cancoon and there will be no cover up for him.

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