Former Ambassador to Japan, James John Chikago is calling for the review of the case where he was being accused of misappropriating public funds amounting to Mk K5,982,435.
In May 2006, the ACB arrested Chikago on allegations that in October 2003 when he was Malawi’s Ambassador to Japan, he abused his position as a public officer by instructing that K5,982,435 meant for the Embassy be diverted for personal use.
Later, the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court dropped the case and discharged Chikago for lack of evidence.
In March 2009, ACB rearrested Chikago in connection to the same case but the case was discharged again, forcing Chikago to sue the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for wrongful arrest in 2015.
But the case was dismissed.
Now, Chikago has penned the new Anti-graft busting body Director General Martha Chizuma seeking review of the whole case, citing some irregularities in the case.
In a letter addressed to Chizuma dated May 10, 2021 made available to faceofmalawi, Chikago is accusing ACB of employing selective justice in the case with an aim of protecting former President Dr. Bakili Muluzi and other ex-diplomats.
“The corruption Case popularly known as criminal Case No 2 of 2009 of the State against Muluzi and John Chikago was a total fabrication by the ACB aimed at protecting Muluzi and fellow public servants in a Money Laundering case.
“The ACB wanted to trivialize the case to only embarrass me leaving out fellow Ambassadors who were also implicated in money laundering cases involving their respective Embassies such as London, Pretoria, Taiwan and Tanzania,” said Chikago in the letter.
He added: “The fact of the matter was that Muluzi transferred money in foreign currencies to those Embassies for his personal use as his personal money. Surprisingly, the ACB only targeted me by opening a theft by public servant case at the Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Blantyre. The case was dismissed by the magistrate for lack of evidence. The ACB in its Wisdom joined the case to Muluzi.”
Chikago has also questioned the rationale behind ACB’s move to treat the case as a corruption case instead Money laundering case.
“Truthfully, the Embassy only received the money and bought the car and the rest of the transactions were undertaken by Muluzi and CFAO. This was where the ACB missed the case to treat it as a corruption when in fact it was Money laundering. It was not as I did not explain the story to ACB. There was disagreement between myself and ACB because it was forcing me to become a state witness to the corruption case to which I refused.
“When the car had arrived in Malawi, it was cleared by the MRA as personal car to Muluzi without stating that the car was bought using the Embassy in Japan. That was when the money laundering case was committed by Muluzi. Surprisingly our ACB treated this as corruption case and linked it to me,” he said.
“My questions; Why were the other Ambassadors of Malawi Embassies which received also received the public funds laundered by Muluzi not taken to Court? Why did the ACB simplify the Money Laundering case to Corruption?” queried Chikago.
While quoting the Bible’s verse John Chapter 20 verse 1 to 2 Chikago said: “I see this as big stone on my door like that of the grave of Jesus Christ requiring an Angel of God to push it.”
Meanwhile Chizuma is yet to respond to Chikago’s request on the matter.
