President, VP assets verification next week
The Directorate of Public Officers Declarations says verification of assets declared by President Peter Mutharika, Vice-President Saulos Chilima and other senior public officers is set to start next week.
The directorate’s director Christopher Tukula said yesterday his office is now set to commence the verification of assets declared by the President and Vice-President, Cabinet ministers and a selected 20 members of Parliament in the 193-seat National Assembly.
Tukula said this when he appeared before the Privileges Committee of Parliament yesterday chaired by the Reverend Christopher Mzomera Ngwira.
Tukula: We are not setHe said his office was awaiting a convenient time and funding from Treasury to undertake the exercise.
Tukula said all steps required to use for the exercise will be implemented, but restricted to the selected few because of lack of funding.
He said: “Both individual interviews and the field verification exercises are expected to take place during the verification.”
Tukula added that a conference or interview verification involves the examination of the particulars of an asset while field verification requires physical validation of the listed property.
The President declared that he had about $10 million deposited in commercial banks in Malawi and the United States of America. He declared that he has about $1.7 million at a local bank, a fleet of nine vehicles bought between 2001 and 2014.
Chilima, on the other hand, declared five farms, several plots and houses plus insurance policies.
The Vice-President also declared several bank accounts holding about K8 million. He said he jointly held the bank accounts with his wife Mary.
Former president Joyce Banda declared about $14 000 deposited at a US bank, about 240 000 South African rand and $4 705 deposited at the National Bank of Malawi (NBM).
She also declared ownership of 63 vehicles, most of which she donated to her People’s Party (PP).
The former president also declared businesses, including her Joyce Banda Foundation school, which she valued at $270 000.
Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition in Parliament, declared four houses, six vehicles and six bank accounts, including one in the US containing about $14 000.
He also said he had 10 bank accounts jointly held with his family members. n
