Malawian president fires predecessor's top aide over graft

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has fired a top aide to ex-president Bakili Muluzi from his government job over alleged fraud and graft, a senior government official said Wednesday.

"The head of state has made the decision to end the contract ofHumphrey Mvula, chief executive officer of Shire Buslines," Chief Civil Service Secretary Charles Matabwa said.

Mvula, a senior official of the ruling United Democratic Front and a close ally of Muluzi, was arrested by fiscal police a fortnight ago on orders from the state top prosecutor, Director ofPublic Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmael Wadi.

But Mvula, who has since protested his innocence, said he was not aware of his sacking since the government has to give him six months' notice before terminating his contract.

DPP Wadi said Mvula was being probed over several fraud and corruption allegations at the state-run bus company, including "dubious purchases" of a new fleet of buses and spare parts.

The youthful top government prosecutor, whom incidentally parliament approved his appointment Wednesday, said investigators discovered that Shire Buslines was subcontracting contracts for supply of new acquisitions of buses and spare parts to companies either owned by Mvula or people connected to him.

Wadi also alleged that the suppliers were inflating costs at Mvula's approval. Some of them, he said, could also be arrested.

Mvula's arrest came fast on the heels of the DPP's disclosure last month that several senior officials, including ministers in the Muluzi administration, would face charges in connection of theloss of over 90 million US dollars of government money through fraud and corruption.

Several bilateral and multilateral donors, including the government of Britain, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, suspended close to 100 million dollars in aid to Malawi because of graft.

Mutharika, in a bid to win back donor support for Malawi -- oneof the poorest countries in the world, has promised 'zero tolerance' to corruption.

Source: Xinhua