Monday, September 7, 2009

Chanika 'joins' Law, defends thief Muluzi

Bakili Muluzi's hope for life outside prison are in these High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal Judges and not the Emmie Chanika that Muluzi is paying to draw him sympathy from the public for the theft and corruption case to be withdrawn. Pic exclusively by Malawi Digest.(c)

By Joseph Mwale

The prosecution of former president Bakili Muluzi is a waste of resources and government should therefore, stop the matter, civil rights activist Emmie Chanika has said.

But in separate interviews, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Wezzie Kayira and Mzuzu based political analyst Noel Mbowela said it was too early to describe the matter as a waste of public resources, especially when the courts are yet to tackle the substantive matters of the case.

Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) boss Emmie Chanika said government should instead intensify the fight against current corruption, adding there was a lot of corruption in government but the authorities were only interested in previous cases.

“Muluzi’s case is simply a tip of the iceberg, a joke. There is need to focus on present cases,” Chanika said.

She cites cases of former president of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi and Fredrick Chiluba of Zambia, who were acquitted by the courts in their respective countries.

Chiluba was acquitted early last week following the Zambian government’s failure to provide tangible evidence relating to his alleged graft activities.

This, as Chanika said wasted resources of the two countries that could have been used on other development activities and fears the same could happen to Malawi.

But Kayira said Chiluba’s case was different from Muluzi’s, adding that Chiluba appeared in court and defended himself.

“Muluzi’s case has not even started, let the ACB bring evidence in court and defendants should defend themselves. Then we can see what the courts will decide,” he said.

Kayira added that anybody would comment on such issues outside courts but the bottom line remained that the courts were the ones to judge.

Conquering with Kayira, Mbowela said Muluzi’s prosecution was not a waste of resources but a warning to those who want to mess up with government funds.

“This is a serious warning to those who hold such positions to be careful with the public funds,” he said.

Mbowela also said if Muluzi was innocent, the courts will decide.

But Chanika said if Muluzi really stole public funds, then the blame should go to the civil society, government watchdogs and Malawians as a whole.

“The vice-president, ministers and other stakeholders should advise our presidents on how to manage things. We should not blame the individual, but the whole system,” added Chanika.

She also noticed that renowned activists in the country were failing in their duties as government watchdogs as required of them by the country’s Constitution.

However, Chanika was convinced that President Bingu wa Mutharika’s recently speech that he will not spare any minister involved in corrupt practices indicated he was geared to deal with corruption.

Chanika campaigned against Muluzi’s standing in May 19 elections and also written a book titled, The Lost Decade, referring to the 10 years under Muluzi.

Information and Civic Education Minister Leckford Thotho said he could not comment on the issue because the matter was in court.

Muluzi is answering corruption charges in which he is alleged to have diverted MK1.7 billion donor funds into his personal accounts during his 10-year rule-The Sunday Times, September 6, 2009.

9 comments:

  1. Chanika is a bitch. She loves money and does not know what she is talking about. I hate people who want act as if they know everything. What she she talking about is utter stupidity.

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  2. This same Emmie Chanika was undressed and beaten up by one young democrat Tom Chiumia at Comesa Hall in Blantyre in 2004. Now she has started working with Muluzi again. This world!

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  3. So Emmie Chanika, you are saying if Muluzi stole our money Malawians are to blame not him?

    Koma anthu ama NGO enawa. No wonder you are closing down Cilic when other NGOs are blossoming.

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  4. NGO's are here just to be sympathetic will well to do people or poor Malawians?A Chanika kodi Muluzi mukubakira a Chair chifukwa?Anatibera ndalama zathgu ameneyo and whether sick or not he has to face the law bola nakakalamba ngati mzake Mbuya may be they could have bbeen sympathetic but HE HAS TO ANSWER CHARGES BASI!!!

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  5. I am surprised by the altitude of Mrs Chanika on this matter.For her to say that govenrment is wrong to investigate the corruption charges involving Bakili muluzi is a laughable matter.In the first place transparency and justice are not cheap in any democracy. I am sure that the nation needs to know how in the 10 years of his rule Bakili was able to distribute money freely to people at his rallies as if if it were manna from heaven. Even Bill Gates the wealthies man on earth would not be throwing money around the way he did. Where did he get that money. Mrs Chanika I am very disappointed with you because don't just talk in order to to get cheap popularity. Be objective. If you don't understand matters of law obviously looking at your background you have never been a lawyer or judge.

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  6. Just to mention that Emmie Chanika is a nurse by profession and no wonder he is missing the point on the Muluzi case.

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  7. Do not critise Emie, this woman is very strong. Some of you who are saying Muluzi should face the law, are the ones who dined with him, and this time around you are with President Bingu wa munthalika, if anything bad comes up after his rule you will be behind somebody else. Emie is right, Muluzi did not run the government alone, there were people around him and we see the same people behind Muntharika and pointing a fingure at Muluzi, lets be honest about ourselves, we should be courageous enough to detect bad things at early stages before they mature.

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  8. Emmie has a point, lets not be emotional

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  9. Chanika is useless. I wonder what type of NGO Executive she is. With this silly attitude our beautiful Malawi will not develop.Utsiru umenewu ngofunika pakhomo pa Chanika not our beatiful country like Malawi which belongs to all of us Malawians. Unworthness of NGOs on the cheking the wrongs should not deter us from having aculprit prosecuted. What she is saying shows how naughty and selfish she is. Dzikoli ndi latonse osati Chanika ndi Muluzi. Ifenso timafuna titalemera. Ana ndi abale anthu nkumasangalala.

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