Malawi Civil Society Led Black Economic Empowerment Mo v e m e n t w a n t s Ombudsman Grace Malera probed for alleged gross misconduct in handling the case of National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) deputy chief executive officer Helen Buluma.

In a letter dated October 2 2022 addressed to the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament (PAC), the group claims to have information and evidence that there was gross misconduct in how the matter was handled.

Mkwezalamba: The case is before the courts

In the September 30 2022 determination, the Ombudsman recommended that the Nocma board should nullify Buluma’s contract.

But in an interview yesterday, Malera said her office was not an addressee of the letter and that she was seeing it for the first time when The Nation forwarded it to her as such she could not comment.

The group, which also copied the letter to Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) and Nocma board chairperson Colleen Zamba, said the Ombudsman carried an inquiry into the matter knowing fully aware there were matters before the courts.

“Our understanding of the law is that the Ombudsman is not allowed to investigate any case that is before the courts,” reads the letter signed by Mkwezalamba as chairperson and Fryson Chodzi, coordinator.

The group also claimed the board of Nocma was not given a chance to be heard during the Ombudsman’s inquiry, adding when Buluma was summoned during the inquiry, she raised concerns that the Ombudsman was compromised as she was allegedly influenced through inducements by big fuel haulage transporters that wanted contracts.

But Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence said in an interview yesterday, they noted with grave concern the continued attempts by the Executive arm of government to undermine the constitutional office of the Ombudsman and sweep under the carpet its determinations.

He said: “We look at these troubling machinations by the government as blatant attempts to undermine democracy. We demand that for once the government through the Attorney General and all other relevant stakeholders should see to it that rule of law is respected and not systematically undermined.

“The Office of the Omb u d sma n i s a con s t i tutional body established to strengthen d e m o c r a c y w h o s e determination ought to be respected. This is why we, at HRDC, expect nothing but total adherence and respect of rule of law on the Nocma determination.

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