Uladi  case adjourns till January 2020:  Kwanjana rejects citizenship applications without supporting documents

High Court in Lilongwe has adjourned to January 14, 2020 hearing of the case in which former minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Uladi Mussa is accused of issuing passports to foreign national.

Mussa, who is also the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice-president for the Centre, is accused of illegally issuing Malawian passports and business permits to over 40 Ugandan, Rwandan and Burundian nationals.

Part of the evidence tendered in court showed that some foreigners, about six of them, were legally given business and residence permits. This number increased when Mussa was minister since some transactions were handled at ministerial level.

The evidence further revealed that the bank deposit slips which were attached to documents were fake and that there were no original documents at the Immigration Department since most of the transactions were done at ministerial level.

On Wednesday afternoon, one of the accused, David Kwanjana, who was former Chief Citizenship Officer distanced himself from some citizenship applications that were processed without supporting documents.

Kwanjana is being accused of willful negligence of official duties as a public officer as well as abetting someone in a fraudulent activity.

“I do not recall forwarding files without supporting documents.  However it could happen that some documents went missing at the Ministry’s Desk Office and they were afraid to notify me,” he claimed.

Kwanjana said it was practically impossible for one’s citizenship application devoid of required documents to be processed without the knowledge of the Principal Secretary of Home Affairs and Internal Security.

Speaking on the sidelines, lawyer for the accused, Eric Salima was upbeat and expressed satisfaction with the responses given by his client.

“My client has given a comprehensive account of his job as a chief citizenship officer and the roles of each office in the process of citizenship application. He also commented on accusations leveled against him on being negligent but the evidence goes on,” he pointed out.

Asked on some responses by his client which Kwanjana expressed ignorance of stamps and signatures from his office on some applications, Salima said that is normal because the offices like that of his client handle a lot of details.

Kwanjana was the Immigration Chief Citizenship officer as of 2014 while the Ministry of Home Affairs was being headed by Uladi Mussa.

The two are answering charges along with Burundian, Pascal Rwasa, Rwandese, EsiliKubwimana and Malawian. Peter Katasha.

Upon resumption of the case, Kwanjana will continue to undergo examination in chief by his lawyer.

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