Parliament supports inquiries—Speaker

 Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara has said Parliament has no intention of stopping inquiries by the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) or any parliamentary committee on issues concerning public resources.

She was responding to PAC chairperson Shadreck Namalomba’s allegations that by asking the committee to pend its meetings until a leadership wrangle is settled in court, Parliament is blocking PAC from carrying out investigations into crucial issues concerning public resources.

Speaking during a press briefing at Parliament Building in Lilongwe on Wednesday, the Speaker said Parliament cannot stop investigations into issues of national interest.

“Parliament encourages such inquiries and has been carrying out inquiries into issues such as Covid-19 funds, forex and fuel shortage and many others.

“The only reason that PAC meetings were pended is that there is a court case involving the committee and there is need to wait for determination of the court,” said Hara.

In a written response, Namalomba said if Parliament recognises him as PAC chairperson, then he should be allowed to call for meetings.

He said he cannot be called chairperson if he is not convening meetings: “And the committee o f chairpersons of Parliamentary Committees that stopped PAC from meeting does not have powers to stop any committee from meeting.”

Namalomba last week communicated that PAC sought to carry out inquiries into the alleged K30 billion fertiliser deal on AIP, fraud at the Accountant General’s office and Malawi Gaming Board, K17. 5 billion Covid-19 funds and money spent on the United Nations General Assembly trip to New York last month, among others. However, when he convened a meeting to discuss how the committee will proceed, there was communication that the committee of chairpersons of Parliament chaired by the Public Appointments Committee chairperson Joyce Chitsulo resolved that PAC should not meet due to court issues.