Govt accused of shielding deputy speakers

Government has been accused of shielding deputy speakers Clement Chiwaya and Esther Mcheka-Chilenje from prosecution over allegations that they swindled millions of kwacha from public coffers through dubious claims of rentals for houses they owned.

Our sister newspaper, Weekend Nation, revealed that the two deputy speakers were living in their own houses, but claimed rentals of K550 000 ($958.02) per month between May 2014 and September 2015 for rented houses instead of K150 000 ($261.27) for using their personal houses.

The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) summoned the deputy speakers after the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development confirmed that the houses indeed belonged to them contrary to the presentation of tenancy agreements that they belonged to landlords.

Mzimba West member of Parliament (MP) Harry Mkandawire (People’s Party-PP), who is also chairperson of the Government Assurances Committee of Parliament, told Parliament on Tuesday that much as the two deputy speakers were under criminal investigation, they should no longer be presiding over Parliament as they are doing.

Ironically, Mkandawire made the remarks as Chiwaya, who is Second Deputy Speaker, was presiding over the afternoon sitting of Parliament, but he remained cool as the MP levelled his accusations.

Said Mkandawire: “We know government is shielding them. We want a speedy investigation. We cannot have somebody who is being investigated to be presiding over the august House like Parliament.”

Mkandawire’s remarks came barely a day after Speaker Richard Msowoya told MPs not to bring up the issue without following procedures.

The MP brought up the issue during his response to President Peter Mutharika’s opening address which he delivered on Friday last week.

While Chiwaya did not respond to the allegations, leader of the House Francis Kasaila said after Mkandawire accusations that the issue could not have another court process while the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and police were investigating it.

“The issue was decided by the Business Committee that because the issue was referred to the ACB by the Parliamentary Service Commission, we should wait until they have done their investigations and give us a report. I don’t understand why the rush,” said Kasaila, who is also Minister of Transport and Public Works.

Kasaila challenged Mkandawire and his committee to push the ACB to finalise the investigations and issue a report to the House for discussion.

This is contrary to a report by PSC which said Chiwaya and Mcheka-Chilenje declined to attend a hearing for their side of the story.

In a statement issued on October 29, PSC disclosed that it referred the issue to ACB and police for the criminal aspects while Parliament would deal with the deputy speakers administratively. n