… Tonse Alliance is very scandalous..
The secret amnesty granted to cashgate suspects by the Director of Public Prosecutions is an insult to the country and should be reversed, a prominent Malawian medic in the USA has charged.
Dr Daniel Dube, who has become one of the leading commentators on social issues in Malawi said the amnesty shows there is no leadership in the country.
“The news that the DPP has cut a deal where Cash gate individuals have been asked to return the money they stole lends credence to the Idea that our civilian administration has collapsed and we are lacking the leadership skills and wisdom to run a country that is in a crisis,” said Dube in a social media post.
He said the Tonse administration has become scandalous that it was difficult to keep up on their mischief.
“Most of the wrongs and very bad policies are being introduced quietly. Without a serious media, we are often unable to ask questions and keep our public servants in check,” said Dube.
He said there is a need for a special tribunal to examine levels of crimes committed against Malawians since 1994 from the UDF rule to the DPP rule as plunder of public tesources seemed to have been legalised.
“These administrations plundered close to $2 billion. Theft and pilferage that falls outside the Cashgate is inestimable and may run in several billions of dollars. Very few people were held accountable. Banks, Companies and high-ranking civil servants and politicians from across the political parties have never been held accountable,” he charged.
Dube adds, “We the people need to get the Justice Minister, the Attorney General and the DPP to come out and explain the legal framework under which these deals are being made.”
The medical doctor who was born in Mangochi has several questions for the Tonse administration;
1. Given the enormity and seriousness of these financial crimes, should there not be public consultations before starting these grand amnesty schemes?
2. Has the administration forgotten that the current AG tried what was considered a surreptitious amnesty and it failed?
3. Is the government trying now to undercut the work of this ACB and future ACBs by closing corruption cases?( What an irony! The government and its supporters are beating down the DG of the ACB for not prosecuting old corruption cases while closing them quietly.)
4. What will be the legal status of people who assisted in the financial crimes for which people are being forgiven? Are the accomplices also automatically forgiven?
On the return of the stolen money, are the crooks being asked to pay with interest? Are we adjusting repayment for inflation?
1. If someone stole MK100 million and now he has built a billion Kwacha business, does he return the MK100 million and gets to keep the business?
2. In the administration of these amnesty deals are there any considerations for the direct injury to the public in specific circumstances where people stole money earmarked for specific projects?
(A case in point, if you stole COVID money can you return the money without facing the consequences for the deaths that were caused by these thefts? Or is it rudimentary legal arguments that COVID caused the deaths and the absence of oxygen can not be proven as contributing to the deaths?)
3. Is this a precedent that we are setting for the competent administration of justice in our country?
Dube says Parliament should intervene in the process and asked President Lazarus Chakweras administration to “show respect to Malawians.”
It has emerged this weekend the the DPP in 2022 granted five cashagate suspects amnesty and hid it from the public.
