Bingu’s wealth turns Parliament to a political battle field

Deliberations nearly came to a standstill in the National Assembly on Thursday when opposition Members of Parliament demanded that the money former President Bingu wa Mutharika accumulated during his reign be brought back.

The whole issue was started by Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire who moved a motion asking the Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu to bring back MK62 billion believed to be in offshore bank accounts.

Mkandawire said the money would help resuscitate the ailing economy.

Standing on point of order, government chief whip Dr. George Chaponda said it was unprocedural for the issue to be brought to the House before the business committee, the political leadership of the House examined the document.

He also said it is not procedural to inquire the wealth of someone who is dead.

But Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua trashed the claims, saying other countries in Africa managed to reclaim the wealth of the dead.

Also trashing the statement were Minister of Information Patricia Kaliati and Justice Minister Samuel Tembenu who said Mkandawire just cooked up the story.

After seeing the documents presented by Mkandawire, Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya said he was having problem with the document since it was not an original copy.

Msowoya then referred the copy to business committee of Parliament to scrutinize it.