Following the recommendation from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the Republican President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, has reinstated the State House Chief of Staff (CoS), Prince Kapondamgaga, whom the President sent on provisional suspension since 21st June last year (2022).
The Public Affairs Committee (PAC), a quasi-religious body and key stakeholder in Malawi’s democratic space, has endorsed President Lazarus Chakwera’s step to reinstate the CoS, PAC Spokesperson, Reverend Gilford Matonga, said their organization welcomes President Chakwera’s decision to reinstate his Chief of Staff who has been cleared in by the ACB, saying maintaining his suspension would be malicious and unfair.
“Any person in this country is innocent until proven otherwise by a competent court of law. In this instant, the Chief of Staff has not been proven otherwise by any court of law and the ACB which came up with allegations against him has concluded that no charges would be sustained against him. There is no rationale in that sense to subject him to any disadvantage based on allegations that have been dropped”, said the PAC spokesperson in an interview with local press adding that “we will be hesitant as Public Affairs Committee to condemn or not to condemn the President President because he is following the rule of law in that particular regard.”
The ACB in its reported announcing the closing of Kapondamgaga’s file recommended that “the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) should immediately review the Malawi Public Service Regulations in accordance with the President’s directive on June 21, 2022.
The said presidential directive on 21 June 2022 pertained to the CoS suspension pending ACB’s investigations, and the ACB recommendations to the OPC meant that his suspension should be lifted to allow him to resume duties.
