MP Chitsulo, who is chairperson of the Parliamentary Public Affairs Committee
* Khoma alleged that Chitsulo was used as Parliamentary Committee chairperson to reject Chizuma from being ACB director general
* Ordered to pay within 7 days from the date of receiving the summons (dated June 13) the sum of K100 million
* In aggravated damages for libel to sufficiently compensate the claimant for the ridicule that she has endured
* And the loss of reputation that she has suffered from the public, fellow Christians in the church where she is seen as corrupt
By Duncan Mlanjira
Solomon Kamowa Khoma of Area 36 in Lilongwe is being sued for defaming Member of Parliament for Mwanza West, Joyce Chitsulo when he published and distributed a publication through WhatsApp number 0882 885 059 to various Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) WhatsApp groups alleging that she is on Zuneth Sattar’s corruption list.
According to her lawyers, Adrian & Company, Chitsulo’s “reputation has been damaged with her constituents, the public, as well as with her fellow Christians in the church where she is seen as corrupt”.
The lawyers quotes the said WhatsApp message as saying Chitsulo — who is chairperson of the Parliamentary Public Affairs Committee (PAC) — “is reportedly among the unpatriotic Malawians who benefitted from Zuneth Sattar’s corruption proceeds, it has been established.
“It was reviewed in London by National Crime Agency that in May last year Zenith (sic) Sattar through one of his agents in Lilongwe Malawi provided the PAC Chairperson Millions of kwacha to stave off the confirmation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau-ACB Director Martha Chizuma.
ACB Director General Martha Chizuma
“On 29th April last year, President Chakwera appointed Martha Chizuma as the new Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau subject to confirmation by the Public Affairs Committee of Parliament.
Little did Malawians know that the appointment did not please fugitive Sattar and a web of his corrupt cartels that include the office of the Vice President, some Cabinet Ministers and senior State House officials.
“This was when it was planned to involve PAC Chairperson Joyce Chitsulo to reject Chizuma from assuming the ACBs top leadership position a move that would receive public displeasure a little later.
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“During the interview by PAC Chizuma is said to have performed exceedingly well but she was rejected despite the fact that there was a tie during voting.
“This is a revelation that all the drama that surrounded the confirmation of Martha Chizuma as ACB Director-General by PAC was because its Chairperson Chitsulo received money from Zuneth Sattar and shared it with some PAC members,” Khoma is quoted as posted on the alleged DPP WhatsApp group published this month.
Chitsulo’s lawyers thus maintain that “as a dedicated Christian, a Member of Seventh Day Adventist Women Ministry, a Member of Parliament, Chairperson of Public Appointments Committee (PAC), a public figure, Coordinator for Parliamentary Committees Chairpersons; her reputation has been damaged with her constituents, the public, as well as with her fellow Christians in the church where she is seen as corrupt.
“As a politician, wherever she travels whether in Malawi or outside her reputation is that of a corrupt person who has used her position to her advantage and benefited corruptly.”
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The lawyers further say Khoma’s publication “has surely lowered [the MP] in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally, and has caused her to be regarded with feelings of hatred, disdain, fear, and mockery yet she holds respectable positions in the society”.
As a result of your defamatory publications, Chitsulo is demanding within 7 days from the date of receiving the summons (dated June 13) the sum of K100 million “in aggravated damages for libel to sufficiently compensate the claimant for the ridicule that she has endured; the loss of reputation that she has suffered across the globe”.
Khoma was also ordered — within the same 7 days to apologise to the MP to be published through his Facebook page, all groups he shared the said defamatory publication as well as in The Daily Times and Malawi Nation Publication newspapers.
“Kindly take notice that it is the strict instruction of our client to commence legal action against you without any recourse to you whatsoever where we shall seek redress on the issues as raised by our client as well as damages for libel, and ancillary remedies as well as costs for this action should we not hear from you within the next seven (7) calendar days from the date of receipt of this letter.”
The Sattargate, through leaked investigation reports being done by the ACB’s British intelligence partners, National Crime Agency, has implicated my high ranking officials — including the country’s Vice-President, Saulos Chilima.
Sattar at the centre of the corruption probe
This prompted President Lazarus Chakwera to strip his deputy from any delegated duties while waiting for ACB to substantiate its allegations against him and to make known its course of action in relation to all corruption cases.
In his national address on Tuesday evening, Chakwera also acted on others implicated that includes the Inspector General (IG) of the Malawi Police, George Kainja, who was found by the ACB to have been recorded through telephone conversations with Sattar — allegedly discussing procurement deals and kickbacks — thereby deemed to have been compromised and has been fired from office.
Meanwhile, the ACB arrested Kainja on Thursday alongside Malawi Police Service legal officer Mwabi Kaluba and charged of influencing the procurement of 350,00 food ration and packs valued at $875,000 (about K875 million).
In a statement the ACB released on Thursday said the investigations established that the former Inspector General solicited $8,000 (about K8 million) and a car to award Sattar the K875 million contract reference number MPS/SB/16/04/2021 … “by unlawfully initiating requisition of the procurement on Zuneth Sattar instructions”.
Fired IG George Kainja
“He is likely to be charged with two counts of soliciting advantage in regards to the contracts contrary to section 29 (1) as read in Section 34 of the Anti-Corruption Practices Act.”
On Kaluba’s arrest, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police, the ACB statement says it established that he corruptly received $20,000 (about K20 million) from Sattar for giving assistance in the procurement of the food ration and “will likely to be charged with one count of soliciting advantage in regards to contracts contrary to section 29 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Practices Act”.
In his nation address, President Chakwera had said a report from ACB director general Martha Chizuma submitted to him implicates 53 civil servants as well as 31 private sector officials to have received bribes from Sattar, including Chilima and State House Chief of Staff.
The President also said the ACB report, which was copied to Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda as well as Speaker of Malawi Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, also implicated officers from Office of President and Cabinet, Office of Vice-President, Ministries of Homeland Security, Wildlife Tourism and Culture, Defence, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Judiciary, ACB itself and journalists.
But Chakwera said apart from Chilima none of his Cabinet Ministers was implicated in the case in which Sattar is allege to have been bribing public officers in the Malawi Government in exchange for Government contracts.
