The High Court is yet to rule on the fate of embattled Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) Chief Executive Officer Henry Kachaje, two months down the calendar after a court injunction restrained the Ombudsman from dismissing the CEO.
Minutes into a press briefing to announce contents of a determination following an investigation into Kachaje’s ‘illegal’ recruitment by MERA, Ombudsman Grace Malera was served with an injunction obtained by MERA board restraining her from announcing the results.
The tax payers funded energy regulatory body, MERA argued in the injunction that Ombudsman Malera had applied for the CEO Job eventually granted to Kachaje hence was embroiled in conflict of interest.
But the determination leaked nonetheless with the Ombudsman directing that Kachaje removed from office as Kachaje had no academic qualifications for the job but the effecting of the order has been suspended pending ruling on the injunction.
But Malera is quoted by local media outlets that she committed to finish the case with speed the case deserves as it is in the public interests but was now waiting for the courts to make a ruling on the matter as her hands are ‘gagged’.
“We made submissions to the court on our application for the discharge of the injunction on 4th December. The Court reserved its ruling, so we are waiting for delivery of the Court’s ruling,” said Malera.
She could, however, not state when the court is likely to deliver the ruling.
Among others, the suspended determination stated that investigations carried by the Ombudsman found that Kachaje had no Master’s Degree, a minimum requirement for the post, at the time of the application for the job.
The office of Ombudsman instituted an investigation following Complaint it has received from Richard Chapweteka a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) cadre but now working as Malawi Electoral Commissioner who claimed that he had experienced injustice in the manner in which the Malawi MERA recruited Kachaje as Chief Executive Officer.
Typical of a nation whose main objective is not necessarily to serve but to rip from where an individual never sowed. If this was in a developed country where the rule of law indeed functions and legal matters are professionally interpreted, this Kachaje would have voluntarily stepped down to allow natural justice work. As Malawians all we need to do is to understand where the person is coming from. He specifically had no earning power and as such he will try everything possible to cling to what he already has though some underhand tricks propelled him there. One thing the powers that be is deliberately ignoring is that the money being wasted is per se tax payers money. Unashamedly, these gangsters colluded to steal from our hard earned taxes by appointing someone who is not fit and yet there are well qualified Malawians with better qualifications than this dude.
In chichewa there is a saying that, “Ulusi umapita m’mene mwadutsa singano”. Chakwera and his learned AG has shown the nation as to how embezzlers should be treated. At an appropriate time and place, Kachaje will pay his dues. Government money is government money regardless of which party or person is involved. This is why I said the best he should have done was to honourably resign because what he is committing is “FRAUD” which is a serious offence in any country, punishable by a jail term.