The embattled Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima has come out of his cocoon to respond to the corruption that he is alleged to have committed alongside British businessperson of Malawi origin Zuneth Sattar. The allegations made in a report made available to President Lazarus Chakwera whose content he shared to Malawians during an address to the nation on Tuesday has had ramifications against the veep as he has been stripped of all delegated duties effectively rendering him a lame duck Vice President.
However, in a statement released by his press officer, Pilirani Phiri, “the Vice President finds the manner in which the Bureau has proceeded very troubling”.
“The Bureau has in essence accused him of a crime without providing any particulars or evidence in support of the crime. The State Vice President further finds it curious that, to date, the Bureau has not confronted him with the said allegations of criminal conduct so that he has the opportunity of making representations on the same. Instead, a prejudicial one-sided public narrative has been sustained for months now which has incited public anger against the so-called “mentioned” individuals who helplessly watch their lives being ruined as they wait for the opportunity to voice their side of the story. There is a profound sense of justice that is entirely lacking in this approach,” reads the statement in part.
The statement proceeds:
“For the record, the State Vice President vehemently denies the allegations that have been
levelled against him, and will welcome the opportunity, at an appropriate time, of challenging
the said allegations.”
According to the statement, the veep advises the Bureau to wage its war within the confines of the law and not to embark on political witch-hunting.
“The State Vice President wishes to state that while the Bureau’s efforts to fight corruption deserve the unwavering support of all well-meaning Malaŵians, the fight must always be waged within the confines of the law. It must not be abused for political or other objectives. One requirement of the law is that every person must be presumed to be innocent until a competent court of law finds them guilty, and further that accusations of criminality should be made within the space of judicial proceedings. This ensures that the fight against corruption remains a noble enterprise and does not descend into a discredited path of
political witch-hunting.”
Meanwhile, the Bureau has so far arrested former Inspector General of Police George Kainja and his Deputy Mwabi Kaluba with a promise that further arrests will be done in the coming hours. It is yet to be seen whether the Vice President will be arrested the typical way or will be put under house arrest.
