Malawi court convicts ex-minister

LILONGWE, Malawi: The Malawi high court late on Tuesday convicted former home affairs minister, Uladi Mussa, for illegally awarding passports and citizenship to foreigners when he served in Joyce Banda’s administration between 2012-2014.

Mussa, 55, was found guilty of abuse of public office, neglect of duty and altering false documents alongside former regional immigration officer David Kwanjana. The pair were arrested by Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau in 2017 for granting citizenship to Burundian nationals.

Two Burundi nationals, Pascal Rwasa and Rwandese Esili Kubwimana, who were accused of benefitting from the process were however acquitted. Justice Chifundo Kachale delivered the judgement to a courthouse packed with supporters in the capital, Lilongwe.

Mussa is the vice president of former president Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and has expressed interest in running for the party’s leadership ahead of the next elective conference. He is also a former vice president of ex-president Banda’s People’s Party (PP).