President Chakwera and the MCP 2 government, regardless of the numerous exposures of corruption and abuse of power, have failed to demonstrate the political will to fight corruption.
Let me explain, following the coordinated raids on Zuneth Sattar’s homes in Malawi by ACB and by the elite crime busting agency NCA, in U.K, the NCA, Sattar and his wife were arrested on 5th October 2021.
In January 2022 the Attorney General, announced that “all Malawi Government contracts held by Sattar and any of has companies were cancelled and that he was disbarred from all public procurement.”
On Sattar and his companies, the reputable accountancy firm, Baker Tilley, in their audit reports prepared in 2014 and 2015, had reported that Sattar was suspected of having been paid twice, in addition that money had been paid for products that were not supplied* The audit report by Baker & Tilley also indicated that Sattar had received 0.5% of the total budget of Malawi Government between 2103 and 2015.
Following the submission to the President Chakwera of a report by the ACB which he had demanded, the President addressed the nation on 21st June 2022, and in connection with the contracts awarded to Sattar owned companies said:
“The Bureau (ACB) has found that in the four years between 2017 and 2021, the Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force awarded 16 contracts worth over US dollars 150 million to five companies belonging to Mr Sattar”
“The Bureau (ACB) has found that in some contracts the Malawi Government is defrauded through unfairly high and inflated prices. One example the report cited involved a truck (water cannon vehicles) available on the market for 200 thousand dollars being sold to the Malawi Government for over 1.7 million dollars.”
“The Bureau has found that a total of 53 public officers and former police officers allegedly received money from Mr Sattar in the eight months between March 2021 and October 2021. These public officers were specifically from Malawi Defence Service, Malawi Police…….”
So, President Chakwera was fully aware of the following:
• That report by Baker and Tilley had stated that Sattar was suspected of having been paid twice, in addition that money had been paid for products that were not supplied.
• That Sattar defrauded through unfairly high and inflated prices. One example the report cited involved a truck (water cannon vehicles) available on the market for 200 thousand dollars being sold to the Malawi Government for over 1.7 million dollars, as the President had told the nation on 22 June 2022 in his address to the nation.
• That the Attorney General, announced that “all Malawi Government contracts held by Sattar and any of has companies were cancelled and that he was disbarred from all public procurement
• That Ashok Nair had been arrested by ACB and faced criminal charges in Malawi.
It therefore leaves no shadow of doubt that President Chakwera as President and Commander in Chief of the MDF, authorised, indeed corruptly conspired with others and the Commander of MDF General P V Phiri MSM, psc, ndc PhD for MDF on 14 to process the payment of US $ 4,983,400.00 to Mallachite FZE as part payment for ‘the Supply and Delivery of 32 APC vehicles.
Also, that as Commander in Chief, President Chakwera authorised the Commander of MDF General P V Phiri MSM, psc, ndc PhD to travel with 7 senior officers to meet Ashok Nair at Mallachite FZE in Dubai, a man charged by ACB for corruption in Malawi.
What Malawi sadly has is not a President and what MDF has is not a Commander in Chief, both are compromised corrupt persons – in Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, Malawi has a kleptomaniac corrupt man, masquerading as President of the Republic of Malawi and Commander in Chief of Malawi, in General P V Phiri MSM, psc, ndc PhD, what Malawi has is not a Commander of MDF but a compromised, corrupt army officer, awaiting to be court marshalled.
It is now blatantly clear that the corrupt person at the head of the corrupt business empire of Satter is no other than President Chakwera, himself.
That this kleptomaniac President had the audacity to remove the delegated powers of the Vice President of Malawi, now has to be seen in light of the President’s own conduct, that of a corrupt person totally captured by Sattar. The wrong man is in court. And what a travesty of Justice at that.
AD Dassu
Hardtalk
