Parliament U-turns on assets boss’s job

Parliament has revoked the appointment of the new Director of the Office of Public Officers Declarations two weeks after his confirmation by the Public Appointments Committee (Pac).

The committee confirmed Michael Chiusiwa as the new head of the institution after he underwent interviews in July this year.

However, Parliament has advertised the post in the local newspapers.

Pac chairperson Joyce Chitsulo said the advertisement follows the expiry of the contracts of both the director and his deputy.

She, however, refused to divulge more information on the issue and referred the matter to Parliament secretariat.

Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye confirmed the development and said the committee noted an anomaly in the earlier process and “has quickly rectified it through the advert”.

Mwenye also refused to divulge more information, particularly the kind of anomaly.

However, sources privy to the appointment confided in The Daily Times that the committee erred by not advertising the post as required by law.

Apparently Chiusiwa’s contract, as the deputy of the directorate, alongside his boss Christopher Tukula expires this month.

The Office of the Director of Public Officers Declarations is an independent public body within the Malawi Government established under Section 6 (1) of the Public Officers’ (Declaration of Assets Liabilities and Business Interests) Act, 2013.

The Act was passed by Parliament in, 2013 but it came into force in 2014 to provide the legal and institutional framework for the implementation of provisions of the Constitution which require the President, Vice-President, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and prescribed public officers to declare their assets, liabilities and business interests upon assuming office.

The office is mandated to receive and verify the declarations but does not have powers to take to task officers who flout the declaration procedures or illicitly accumulate wealth.