Anti-Bakili Muluzi / MALAWI POLITICS TODAY

Mpasu back, wanted by DPP

by Gedion Munthali, 01 November 2005 - 05:05:15

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmail Wadi called on UDF Publicity Secretary Sam Mpasu, who arrived Monday afternoon in a defiant mood, to report to the police immediately to avoid the embarrassment of being arrested. As soon as he arrived, Mpasu scorned the warrant of arrest against him and accused Wadi of being the only DPP in the region who charges and prosecutes people in the media. “Now that I know he [Mpasu] is the country, I will liase with relevant officials to caution him. But since there is already a warrant of arrest, he can as well just report to police,” said Wadi. Speaking in an interview at Chileka International Airport on arrival from the United Kingdom, Mpasu said he was not scared to be arrested. “I should be scared of what?” Questioned Mpasu. When told that Wadi had obtained a warrant of arrest in connection with a Fieldyork notebook scandal about 11 years ago when he was Minister of Education, Mpasu retorted: “That is the sad reflection of lack of professionalism that now exists in the office of the DPP.” Asked to elaborate, Mpasu said: “This is the only DPP in the regional who charges and prosecutes people in newspapers. It is very shameful.” If he felt he had committed any crimes for which he had to be arrested, Mpasu said: “What crime? This is just meant to intimidate leaders of the UDF, what else?” Mpasu dismissed the feeling that was emerging that he had run away. “How do you run away through an international airport? Actually I wanted to leave days before my departure, but I postponed it because I wanted to participate in the pro-impeachment march.” He said he went out to run party errands. Wadi parried Mpasu’s comments about him. “I have not charged and prosecuted Mr. Mpasu in the media. What I have done is to provide correct information to the media on request. Mr. Mpasu might wish to know that the Fieldyork issue is in the national interest because, among other things, the money that was wasted was public money.” The DPP continued with his defence: “The charges he is talking about were filed in an open court, the warrant of arrest was obtained from a public court, his case is going to take place in an open court. I mean, come on, there is no secret about this issue.” Wadi said he never said at any single time that Mpasu had run away. “What I have always said during Mr. Mpasu’s absence is that at a time he left the country he had not been served with any official document to say he was a fugitive,” said Wadi. Court documents filed by the DPP show that Mpasu between August and September 1994 as education minister abused his office by doing an arbitrary act in concluding arrangements for the supply of exercise books and pencils with Fieldyork International. The documents further say that the act by Mpasu was prejudicial to the rights of the Malawi Government and was an abuse of office contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code. According to the documents, on September 14, 1994 Mpasu is alleged to have directed Sam Safuli of the Education Ministry to sign and send a faxed message from himself (Mpasu). Mpasu is also said to have instructed Safuli on August 23, 1994 to do an arbitrary act to issue a letter of intent to Fieldyork International. He is also accused to have abused his authority by instructing a Mrs. Irene Nyirongo to do an arbitrary act of faxing a confidential report to Fieldyork International. Mpasu is also said to have directed a Blessings Salije on April 29, 1995 to do an arbitrary act by faxing another confidential report to Fieldyork International.