Mix-up in bingu wealth probe

There is uncertainty over a probe into the K61 billion wealth of former president Bingu wa Mutharika because Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament was not given the mandate and cannot proceed with the action.

All along, the committee vowed to investigate allegations that part of the late Bingu’s riches were illegally obtained and that he stashed some money in foreign bank accounts.

However, it has now transpired that the official record of proceedings in Parliament, the Hansard, indicates that the matter was supposed to be handled by the Business Committee of Parliament and not PAC.

PAC chairperson Alekeni Menyani confirmed the development in an interview yesterday, saying his committee has stopped pursuing the matter because “all along it was not mandated to do so”.

He said: “What has transpired is that the Hansard actually indicates that the matter was referred to the Business Committee of Parliament and not the Public Accounts Committee.

“The Business Committee is where the leadership of all parties in Parliament meet, so, by protocol, it would be higher than PAC. As such, we [PAC] thought that we should leave the right committee that was given the matter to handle it.”

But in a separate interview, chairperson of the Business Committee Richard Msowoya, who is also Speaker of the National Assembly, said his committee has nothing to do with the matter.

Ironically, Parliament Secretariat had approved funding for PAC to meet and discuss the probe.

In June this year, Menyani told journalists at Parliament Building in Lilongwe that the Speaker had formally authorised his committee to interrogate various agencies about the late Bingu’s estimated wealth amassed in eight years and report the matter to the next meeting of Parliament which starts on November 21 2016.

PAC’s interest in the matter came after member of Parliament (MP) for Mzimba West Harry Mkandawire (People’s Party-PP) raised the issue in the National Assembly.

At that time, Menyani said: “The Speaker has formally asked us to authenticate whether the matter that was raised by member of Parliament for Mzimba West was true and worth probing or not.

“As soon as Parliament rises, the committee will start inviting organisations to help authenticate the document.”

But yesterday, Menyani said there was a wrong assumption that his committee would handle the issue.

He said: “It was just erroneous that it was meant to believe that PAC had been given the mandate only to realise that it’s the Business Committee.

“When we were requesting for funding for our meetings we had put this as one of the issues we wanted to discuss until some members challenged that the matter was not actually given to PAC.

“When the printed Hansard was brought and given to each and every member it was actually found that it was the Business Committee that had been mentioned in the debate and not PAC.

“So, we would rather leave the Business Committee to deal with the matter and if they so decide to bring it to PAC then they shall have mandated us or if any other member decides to bring up the issue again whether it will be the same Mzimba West MP then we are going to deal with it.”

But Msowoya said PAC has all the powers to pursue any matter of suspected embezzlement of funds.

Said the Speaker: “They can task the Auditor General to look into the matter because Parliament received it and the reason we could not continue debating was because the information was not substantiated. Now they are the only ones who can come up with the substantiated information through all the mechanisms that are at their disposal and bring a report to Parliament. They are not restricted.”

The Business Committee’s plans the business to be tackled in Parliament; hence, it will be interesting to see how the probe would be carried out. n