The Youth and Society (YAS) organization has expressed strong reservations over the Malawi Police Service’s decision to initiate a new investigation into the K750 million botched AIP fertilizer procurement deal.
In a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), YAS Executive Director Charles Kajoloweka stated, “The initiation of a new investigation by the Malawi Police Service, under the direction of the DPP, appears to be a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice and undermine the accountability process that was already set in motion by the ACB.”
Kajoloweka emphasized that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had already conducted a thorough investigation, implicating former Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe and his deputy Madalitso Kambauwa-Wirima, leading to their dismissal by President Lazarus Chakwera in October 2022.
“The ACB’s investigation was comprehensive, transparent, and conclusive,” Kajoloweka noted. “By initiating a parallel investigation, the DPP is effectively disregarding the thorough and professional work already conducted by the ACB.”
YAS raised concerns about the timing and rationale behind the new investigation, questioning whether it was an attempt to insulate implicated officials from facing justice.
Kajoloweka also highlighted the unnecessary financial burden and potential erosion of public confidence in the justice system.
“We urge your Office to reconsider this course of action and to place trust in the comprehensive investigation already carried out by the ACB,” Kajoloweka wrote.
YAS has called for the new investigation to be ceased, and for the DPP to consult with the ACB if further inquiries are needed.
The organization also demanded that implicated individuals be held accountable based on the ACB’s findings.