Chakwera Fires Police IG, Suspends Chief Of Staff And PPDA Board Chairperson

Malawi leader Lazarus Chakwera has fired the Inspector General of Police Dr. George Kainja over his involvement into the alleged corruption saga relating to United Kingdom based Malawian businessman Zuneth Sattar.

Chakwera made the announcement during his National Address last evening at Kamuzu Palace in the capital Lilongwe, in reaction to a report submitted to him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) following the end of a 21 day ultimatum he gave the bureau to serve his office with a report on investigations that some top officials in his government are involved in Sattar’s corruption scandal.

“The description of how the IG seems compromised is clear in the report, and so I have decided to remove him from office on that basis,” he said.

Adding to that, the president has suspended the State House’ Chief of Staff Chris Kapondamgaga and the board chairperson of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) John Suzi Banda.

According to Chakwera the decision is to pave way for investigations the ACB is conducting relating to the involvement of the people in Sattar’s corruption activities.

“I have therefore decided to do so as follows: The Chief of Staff for State Residences is hereby suspended to pave way for the investigations without his interference; the Chairperson of the PPDA will similarly be excused from his official duties,” he said.

The President has therefore called on the AVB Director General Martha Chizuma to expedite the investigations.

Meanwhile, none of the people implicated into the alleged Sattar corruption scandal has come in the open to defend themselves.