ACB wants to quiz Muluzi on MK1.4billion case

by OLIVIA KUMWENDA

The Nation

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has applied
to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Blantyre to vacate the injunction
former president Bakili Muluzi obtained restraining the bureau from
questioning him on how K1.4 billion from foreign governments was
deposited into his personal account when he was in power.

ACB director Alex Nampota on Sunday said the application will be
heard this Thursday. He could, however, not give details of the
application as he was travelling.

Lawyers from both sides on Friday went to court for the application
but Judge Andrew Nyirenda asked for sometime to peruse the file.

Muluzi’s lawyer Jai Banda, who was at the court with lawyer David
Kanyenda—also representing Muluzi, confirmed the development yesterday
but referred The Nation to Nampota for details.

The development follows reports that the ACB is closing in on Muluzi on the K1.4 billion case.

ACB public relations officer Egrita Ndala told The Nation last month the bureau has been conducting investigations on the matter for some time.

Muluzi in October 2005 obtained an injunction from the High Court in
Blantyre stopping the ACB from interrogating him on how the K1.4
billion went into his private account.

The former Head of State got the injunction after the ACB summoned him on the K1.4 billion.

In July 2006, the ACB arrested Muluzi and charged him with 42 counts
of corruption, theft by public servant and breach of trust.

"We once summoned him but he said he can’t come so we did our
investigations without him and came up with the charges which were
taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions who certified them and the
magistrate issued a warrant of arrest after looking at the charges,"
said former ACB director Gustave Kaliwo in an interview after the
arrest.

Muluzi chose to remain silent and was later released on bail without conditions.