Uladi pleads not guilty in passport-gate

Former Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Mussa has told the Lilongwe High Court that he is innocent as hearing of a case to do with the issuance of Malawi citizenship to foreign nationals has started.

Mussa and four others had been found with a case to answer in the alleged abuse of office, neglect of official duties and giving false information.

The State is accusing Mussa of misconduct on the issuance of Malawi citizenship to 50 foreigners when he served as Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security in the Joyce Banda administration between April 2012 and May 2014.

Mussa has told the court that he was granting citizenship basing on the recommendations from principal secretaries.

Meanwhile, Kamudoni Nyasulu -lawyer representing ACB has finished cross examining Mussa on his defense.

Nyasulu questioned Mussa on why he was doing something contrary to recommendations from the principal secretaries.

Earlier on the Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement that it had received a complaint on 25th September 2015 that alleged that on 14th May 2014, the Chief Immigration Officer had granted the Malawi citizenships to foreigners.

The others in the case are David Kwanjana who is a former Senior Assistant Chief Immigrations Officer and now working as Central Region Immigration Officer, Burundian Pascal Rwasa, Peter Katasha, a Malawian and Rwandan Esili Kubwimana.
Source: MIJ