PAC IN COLD WAR WITH MUTHARIKA OVER THE FIRING OF ACB BOSS

Since President Professor Author Peter Mutharika ascended to the high office following the May 20 tripartite election, hiring and firing of top government officials has been on the centre stage, the development which has not gone down well by some stakeholders.

These stakeholders have on several occasion faulted Mutharika’s appointment saying they are based on regionalism while others have said the appointments are made to appease certain quotes.

The recent firing which has sparkled fire is, the firing of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director Rezine Nzikamanda who has been redeployed to Supreme Court of Appeal to be a Judge.

The first grouping to come out openly and criticize Mutharika on the firing is the Public Appointment Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly through its Chairperson Lingson Belekanyama saying, Mutharika has erred by not providing reasons for the removal of the ACB boss as required by law.

Belekanyama said a copy confirming the firing of Nzikamanda served to him as PAC does not have any explanation but just full of praises for a job well done by the outgoing ACB director.

Section 6(2) of the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA) provides that the President, when he or she wants to remove the ACB director, is expected to write the individual outlining the grounds, but Belekanyama observed that nothing to that effect was done.

concurring with Belekanyama’s remarks, Social and political analyst based at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College in Zomba, Blessings Chinsinga said the term of ACB director should be protected just like the term of the President.

Meanwhile Mutharika is yet to appoint new ACB director.