BY DRAXON MALOYA
Malawi’s Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, has vehemently denied allegations of wrongdoing in a mining contract negotiation, dismissing media reports as “sensational” and “baseless.”
Nyirenda defended his actions as legal, stating that the firms involved were already on the Ministry of Justice’s approved vendors list.
The allegations surfaced after the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) reported to have obtained documents suggesting Nyirenda played a significant role in hiring a UK law firm to review a mining agreement between Malawi and Mkango Resources Limited.
According to the PIJ, Mkango Resources Limited paid $180,000 for the consultancy, with $80,000 remaining unaccounted for.
But, Nyirenda expressed disappointment and outrage over the allegations, describing them as “malicious” and “fortunate.” threatened to demand a retraction and apology from the publication.
“This is a sensational publication. They are making conclusions without supporting facts. I will demand a retraction and apology,” Nyirenda said.Chakwera meets a delegation of creative and cultural industries
The PIJ reported that the matter has raised concerns within the government about potential abuse of office; “Documents obtained by the PIJ appear to show that Nyirenda played an oversized role in securing the services of London-based legal firms to review a draft mining development agreement between the Malawi Government and Mkango Resources Limited.
The Platform also reported that Nyirenda acknowledged his role in the matter but defended it as wholly legal claimed to have no knowledge of how the money from Mkango Resources Limited was deposited into the law firm’s account.
It further states that he argued that the procurement process was legal since the hired UK firms were already on the Ministry of Justice’s vendors list.
