Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi vice President Salulosi Chilima has come under heavy pressure following revelations in the United Kingdom Magistrate Court where his involvement in corruption, money laundering and bribery actions were laid bare.
Chilima is the highest ranking government and political official named on the list where the British businessman Zuneth Sattar is suspected to have committed the crimes. Sattar’s lawyers argue that the businessman is clean and the case is ill founded on hearsay.
Chilima’s UTM party is currently being investigated by the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for procuring 44 vehicles via a proxy for K3 billion and faces Malawi Revenue Authority claims on how he got the money to used in the vehicle purchase.
Firebrand human rights activist and Executive Director for Youth and Society Executive Director (YAS), Charles Kajoloweka, says it would only be fair for those mentioned to have received proceeds of suspected crime to voluntarily resign from their positions before they face mammoth demonstration.
Martha Chizuma, ACB Director General has also been blamed for being double faced for not pursuing those who benefited from the looting of public resources.
“We know she is friends with the Vice President Chilima and belong to the same Church but personal inter5stes should not lead to some people being treated as sacred cows. Why has ACB not arrested the Vice President and all those involved in the scandal? The British National Crimes Agency shared the list with ACB so why there is no action from her office?” queried Robert Banda of Institute of Public Accountability, anti-corruption government watchdog.
In an interview with Rainbow TV, Kajoloweka said to ensure smooth and fair investigations into the allegations all those mentioned should resign voluntarily and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should move in to investigate and prosecute those who it will be proved that they indeed received such bribes.
The YAS Executive Director has since asked the ACB to deal with the issue urgently and with speed since the issues coming out have the potential to damage government reputation and image.
“It is important that Malawians should not just be following what is being revealed in the UK but these issues should also be looked at local level and all those mentioned should be taken to task through our local laws,” said Kajoloweka.
It is alleged that Sattar splashed huge sums of money to some top government officials to influence procurement decisions in some government ministries and agencies.
Sattar appeared in court on Wednesday morning when he was pleading with the court to ease his bail conditions to enable him travel to Malawi and Dubai.
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