By Osman Faiti, BLANTYRE Malawi
Former Malawi President, Peter Mutharika (right), has been stripped of his immunity from prosecution and that he can now face charges, a law expert has said.
University
of Malawi's Chancellor College dean of law, Sunduzwayo Madise, said following
legal ritual of new leader, Lazarus Chakwera, being sworn in as President of
Malawi after winning an election rerun, the immunity has been inherited by
Chakwera while Mutharika has lost it.
"And
just like that by operation of the law the immunity that the former President
had against prosecution and suits is gone," Madise wrote on his Facebook
wall.
And to ensure the former brutal regime comes to
account for their wanton corruption and dictatorial regime acts, Chakwera’s
first Presidential appointee is Police Inspector General, George Kainja, firing
the former IG Duncan Mwapasa.
Mutharika did not dissolve his Cabinet when he
was told to do so few days before Presidential Election as per Malawian
Constitution.
Secretary to Government has also been booted
out.
All former Cabinet Ministers during DPP era
have been advised to surrender all ministerial properties including Vehicles
they were using at Capital Hill.
Saulos Chilima, the Vice-President during
Mutharika regime and remains in that position as Chakwera's deputy, accused
Mutharika of high-level graft.
Mutharika's
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials were involved in numerous graft
scandals including former Minister Ben Phiri and Chief Secretary to government
Lloyd Muhara.
With
law degrees from the University of London and Yale, Mutharika left Malawi in
the 1960s to settle in the United States.
He
returned to the country in 1993 to help draft its first democratic constitution
after the fall of Hastings Banda's dictatorship.
Mutharika
went back to the US but returned home in 2004 when his brother came to power,
serving as his informal advisor.
A
widower for 30 years, Mutharika has three children. In 2014 he married his
second wife Gertrude Maseko, a former Member of Parliament.
Mutharika has been defeated by Chakwera who secured the required majority, with 58.57% of the vote, the electoral commission said. - Africa
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