..for hiding Chakweras aide deal
..silence over East Bridges K250bn deal
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma has constructively resigned as she is now hiding information and failing to act on big corruption allegations, a civil rights group has charged.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has asked Chizuma to leave office in the next 14 days as she is letting down the fight against corruption.
CDEDI Director Sylvester Namiwa said the decision to afford President Lazarus Chakwera’s Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga an opportunity to return all ill gotten vehicle and money was the lowest ACB had gone.
“To say well meaning Malawians were shocked with this announcement, is an understatement. In fact, it is the lowest ever we have gone as a country in the fight against corruption. Most people that joined the protests to have you confirmed on the position of the Director General for the ACB, never anticipated that the ACB would go down to such levels with you at the helm,” said Namiwa.
He said what was disheartening was the failure by the ACB to disclose the amounts the State House Director General had pocketed and gave back as part of the deal.
Namiwa said it was become apparent that the fight against corruption was only targeting the poor as the rich and connected were getting away with everything.
He cited the arrest of a female village Chief Mwawa in Mangochi who was arrested in April this year for pocketing K54,000 from fertiliser subsidy beneficiaries and a Limbe Police woman Magret Mbandambanda who was arrested for receiving MK100,000 in order to grant bail to a suspect.
“What is clear in these statements is that the ACB openly declared the amounts of money involved in the two cases, but the same bureau has suddenly become dumb to reveal what else Mr. Kapondamgaga has handed over to the ACB, apart from the Mercedes Benz.
“The two cases cited above involved money. We are, therefore, failing to understand why the ACB failed to give the other two an option of giving back the money they were suspected to have received. One would be forced to think that the two women were treated by the ACB as such because they are not connected to the political elite, and by extension, we can construe that the fight against corruption is merely a fight against the poor,” charged Namiwa.
He said the ACB has now buried its head in the sand as corruption cases are being exposed every day including the K250 billion fertiliser deal between the Ministry of Agriculture and what has turned out into a fake Romanian outfit East Bridge Estates Srl.
“This giving credence to speculations that you Madam, have resigned to fate, and you are just waiting for the expiry of your contract in June 2024, to leave office. It is against this background that CDEDI, on behalf of well-meaning Malawians, writes you to immediately resign in order to save your integrity and at the same time save our taxes,” concluded Namiwa.
We have sought comment from the ACB we Will update the story if we get any.
