CSOs demands of ACB investigations into corruption during DPP administration
Independent civil society activists, Caesar Kondowe, Caleb Ng’ombo and veteran Unandi Banda has accused some civil society organisations of peddling wrong narrative through the media that portrays as if the Tonse Alliance is the most corrupt.
At a press conference on Friday, the independent civil society activists maintained that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) inherited the deep rooted corrupt practices from Democratic Progress Party (DPP) that have brought many of the economic challenges the country is facing.
These civil society organisations have painted a picture as if MCP government carried out all businesses with the British national businessman Zuneth Sattar.
“For those in the dark, Malawi Congress Party government — the Tonse Alliance — has only done one business with Sattar at Malawi Police Service and this business is the one which landed former Inspector General George Kainja in trouble and is currently being prosecuted.
“Besides this, there isn’t any business this administration has done with Zuneth Sattar or indeed any entity connected to him. If anything, all Mr Sattar was doing was pursuing payments for businesses he had done with the DPP administration.”
Thus the independent civil society activists appeal to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate the deep corruption which took place during the DPP era, saying: “We heard issues of the supply of Samosas at K45,000 each and many more issues. How far are these issues?
“As CSOs, it’s time we loved our country by focusing on team building and supporting policies which will help the country achieve MW2063 agenda. Let’s avoid attacking Government for personal gains. We are aware some people are receiving money for their personal gains at the expense of Malawians.
“If we continue peddling lies against Government, we are not tarnishing image of Government or MCP only — we are destroying the future of the country. We are urging CSOs to play patriotic role, with a sense of huge responsibility, so that we are able to serve our country better.”
They also appealed to the media not to be used then CSOs are peddling wrong perceptions of the government, saying they “are doing a good job to the nation of informing, educating and entertaining masses — which is one of your vital benchmarks”.
“It is sad that some journalists are abusing such powers while others are using media powers professionally. If such powers are being abused it becomes a catastrophic.
On his part, Undani Banda said corrupt practices has brought the country’s economy back and that it was being handled with kid gloves.
“When [former Justice Minister] late Collins Chizumila presented the Bill for the enactment of the Corrupt Practices Act, he spoke so passionately against corruption. We need to emulate that passion in his memory.
“The fight against corruption requires strong political will and the Independence of the ACB, which the MCP-led government is achieving. It is the responsibility of each and every citizen to join hands in the fight against the vice because it is not only those at the top who are involved.”
He further called on the Ministry of Education to include corrupt practices for school syllabus from primary, secondary up to the tertiary level in order to inculcate in the young minds that corruption destroys a country.
He also implored on the ACB to conclude their investigations on previous administration’s corrupt cases — saying “justice delayed is justice denied”.
On Monday, the ACB applied a renewal of a restriction notice that it obtained related to Zuneth Sattar’s bank accounts to remain frozen until it finishes investigations and has already written the banks asking for the needed information
Sattar, a businessperson who is based in the United Kingdom, is facing graft charges in Malawi but lawyer, representing owners of the frozen accounts, Kalekeni Kaphale, raised an objection, arguing that the notices should not be renewed because the ACB has “very pervasive and invasive” investigation powers it could have used to obtain the information by now.
Kaphale told the media outside the court that “in March or April, they applied for renewal and, when they were applying for renewal, they had indicated that they completed investigations and that they believed the account contained proceeds of crime [and that] they would be taking the next step.
“They have not taken any step. The restriction notices expired in August [this year and] now they are applying for the renewal and we are saying that, before they are granted the renewal, can they give an account of how they have exercised their statutory powers under the Corrupt Practices Act.
The lawyer said investigations on Sattar started in October 2022 that first had the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) freezing the accounts in September 2022 before unfreezing them.
After that, the ACB stepped in in January 2023, when it started using a restriction notice that expired after 90 days and further Kaphale argued that the ACB has the power to ask any bank to demand any information including the identity of depositors, recipients and reasons for transactions.
The court has reserved its ruling to October 12, 2023. Investigations into Sattar and other government officials started when ACB Director General, Martha Chizuma submitted a report to President Lazarus Chakwera, in which allegations were made that Sattar had suspicious relationships with some public officials.
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