No-one will be spared: Chakwera

Chakwera has directed that the ACB issue a report on the [Sattar] matter within 21 days so that Malawians can learn about the actions that will be taken as soon as possible.

June 01, 2022

Malawi: President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, informed the public that if reports of corruption allegations against senior members of his administration, including Vice President Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima, are true, they will not be spared.

Chakwera stated this after a court document from the United Kingdom circulated on social media and other platforms, claiming that businessman Zuneth Sattar bribed several government officials, including the vice president, Chief of Staff, the Solicitor, the Inspector General of Malawi Police, the chairperson of the PPDA, and a Malawi police service lawyer.

The president said, according to the country's constitution, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty; additionally, citizens have the right to defend themselves against an accuser, and everyone's side of the story must be heard before being formally charged.

"It's been a week since the allegations against them were reported, but none of these individuals has been charged by any court where they can answer for themselves, and they haven't even been invited for interviews or questioning by investigators," he explained.

Chakwera went on to say that he cannot jeopardise the country's sovereignty by basing his presidential decision on anything other than the constitution, which binds him to do so.

He said: "The constitution requires me to base all of my decisions on the law as it is applied by law enforcement agencies and adjudicated by this country's courts."

As a result, Chakwera has directed that the ACB issue a report on the [Sattar] matter within 21 days so that Malawians can learn about the actions that will be taken as soon as possible.

"Considering that this matter is of high national interest, I would expect that a specific report on this issue be made available within 21 days to allow my office and the country to be appraised and also as Malawians have the right to know the extent of the whole thing," he said.

Chakwera also outlined 15 measures that the Tonse Alliance government will implement in order to boost the country's economic system, and he appointed Ms Colleen Zamba as the new Secretary to the President and Cabinet with immediate effect, succeeding Mr Zanga-Zanga Chikhosi.