Q & A

Anti-corruption agencies have failed

 

President Peter Mutharika recently set up a commission of inquiry to probe the alleged corrupt procurement of maize from Zambia. Our reporter JOHN CHIRWA engages governance and youth rights advocate Charles Kajoloweka to assess the country’s war on corruption.

Kajoloweka: There is need for sustained
checks and balances

Q:

What is your take on the appointment of the commission of inquiry?

A:

The greater concern should not be the appointment of the commission. Instead, we should be more concerned about the speed at which the systems, structures and mechanisms for combating corruption are falling apart since this administration attained power in 2014. All key accountability institutions-the Anti-Corruption Bureau [ACB], Office of the Auditor General [AG], the Fiscal Intelligence Bureau, the National Intelligence Unit [FIU], the Police and parliamentary committees-have largely failed Malawians.

The Mutharika administration has demonstrated to be not only corrupt but also incompetent in fighting corruption. That should be our key concern. The maize scam is only one of many recent corruption cases involving high profile government and Democratic progressive Party [DPP] officials.

Recently, we have heard about the K4.9 billion fraud at Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi [Escom].

Q

: What does the President’s silence on these cases mean?

A:

The President has tolerated this impunity and should be held responsible. As the civil society, we suspect that it is the corruption in this maize deal that motivated President Mutharika to singlehandedly raise the maize prices to K12 500 so that the poor pay the loan whose money  some political elites have pocketed. Our view is that the probe should not spare the President. So, the establishment of a commission of inquiry is an honest acknowledgment of the collapse of not only national integrity, transparency and accountability agencies, but also the prosecutorial establishment—the ACB, the Police and the Courts. As a nation, we should focus on reversing this dangerous status quo.

Q:

Are these commissions just there to silence critics?

A:

This inquiry, in my view, is a smokescreen, which is there only to make Malawians feel something is being done when the inner circle is in fact being shielded from expedited prosecution. It is unfair to expect Malawians to trust the inquiry process when those under investigations are still in office. How do you begin to believe a President who fails to acknowledge the existence of corruption in his administration despite rampant cases involving those around him?

Q:

We have had several commissions of inquiry which died a natural death while others took

unnecessarily too long to come up with reports. What should be done to ensure the present inquiry is not just another waste of time and money?

A:

Strategic monitoring of the process by independent voices, especially the media and civil society groups, is critical at this stage. This is vital because there are unresolved questions about the commission’s independence. Updates on the progress by the commission and strong collaboration with our Zambian counterparts and sustained advocacy on key emerging issues may strengthen access to information and accountability throughout the probe. We should be mindful that President Mutharika has a history of watching over the crises and denying responsibility. There is need for strong monitoring of the process.

Q:

Previous findings on the murder of student activist Robert Chasowa and musician Evison Matafale have not been implemented to this day. Do you think findings of the present commission will be an exception?

A:

Notwithstanding the unresolved reservations around the commission’s independence and existing institutional incompetence of accountability bodies such as ACB, our undivided desire and hope is that we will get to the bottom of the scam and ensure that relevant authorities act accordingly on the findings. No one should be allowed to joke with people’s lives. The 6.8 million starving Malawians in whose name K26 billion loan was sought from PTA Bank to procure maize want answers. We want answers why government has denied its people access to maize by pegging the prices too high that not many starving Malawians can afford. The onus rests with the President to prove that he is committed to walking the talk by acting on the findings of the inquiry.

Q:

What should be done to make sure that findings on the maize scam are respected?

A:

The Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda must be suspended to pave the way for credible investigations. Mutharika should swiftly act on this or stop faking about his commitment to kicking out corruption. Why should this high-profile case be treated differently from other similar cases at Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority [Mera], Roads Authority [RA] and Malawi Electoral Commission [MEC] where top management officials are currently on suspension pending investigations? An inclusive composition of the commission of inquiry is also critical in strengthening the legitimacy and independence of the inquiry. The set-up should have included representation from other more independent actors such as CSOs, media, private sector, and relevant parliamentary committees.

Q:

What does the future look like if corruption continues?

A:

We are worried that DPP is becoming a party of darkness associated with executive arrogance, intimidation and corruption which they never explain. We, however, do not believe that President Mutharika is willing to sustain this dangerous status quo. As CSOs, we shall continue to discharge our patriotic and impartial watchdog role on this and other corruption cases. We are all invited to this collective task of building a government of integrity and a society where all people have an opportunity to earn a decent living and achieve their dreams.  n

 

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