Former NSO official convicted

The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court has convicted former chief statistician for population and housing census at the National Statistical Office (NSO), Willie Kachaka, on charges of corruption in connection with the hiring of vehicles for the 2008 census.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) senior public relations officer Egrita Ndala confirmed Kachaka’s conviction in an e-mail on Wednesday.

She added the bureau has since arrested another NSO official and advanced its investigation on other NSO officials implicated in the case.

“Mr. Willie Kachaka was prosecuted and convicted. The bureau also arrested and is prosecuting Derick Zanera. The case is still in court at the Zomba Magistrate’s Court,” said Ndala.

In a statement provided to The Nation on Monday, Ndala said the court sentenced Kachaka to five months imprisonment with hard labour, but suspended to 12 months.

“The ACB intends to appeal against the sentence,” said Ndala.

Kachaka was found guilty on the count of misusing public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act. He was arrested in October 2012.

“In 2008, the ACB received information alleging massive corruption in the hiring of vehicles for the 2008 Population and Housing Census. [ACB] established that Willie Kachaka, who was then working as chief statistician for the population and housing census, had committed an offence in relation to the hire of vehicles during the 2008 Population and Housing Census,” reads the statement.