WASHINGTON, US
The United States has barred four former officials of the Malawi government from entry because of their involvement in significant corruption, US State Department said on Wednesday.
"The United States stands
with Malawians working towards a more just and prosperous nation by promoting
accountability for corrupt officials, including advocating for transparency and
integrity in government procurement processes," department spokesman
Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The officials designated are
former solicitor general and secretary of justice Reyneck Matemba, former
director of public procurement and disposal of assets John Suzi-Banda, former
Malawi Police Service attorney Mwabi Kaluba, and former inspector General of
the Malawi Police Service George Kainja, the department said.
The four were cited by the
State Department as having "abused their public positions by accepting
bribes and other articles of value" from a private businessperson in
exchange for a government police contract.
Malawi's
President Lazarus Chakwera has waged a crackdown on corruption in recent
years. In January 2022, he dissolved the country's entire Cabinet on
charges of corruption against three serving ministers.
Later that year, Malawi's
Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested and charged the country's vice
president, Saulos Klaus Chilima, over graft allegations.
The group has been
investigating public officers in Malawi over alleged plundering of state
resources by influencing awarding of contracts through the country's public
procurement system.
Malawi is one of the world's
vulnerable countries, with nearly three-quarters of the population living on
less than $2 a day. Though small in size, it features in the top 10 in Africa
in terms of population density.
No comments:
Post a Comment