Former Deputy Commissioner General Roza Mbilizi who was arrested in connection to the K 5 billion Cement saga is still a free person because of her business connections to cabinet minister Sidik Mia.
We can reveal that Mia is pulling his weight not to have Mbilizi charged in the scandal where Former President Peter Mutharika aides used his Tax identification pin to import cement duty free under the status of a sitting president.
“We are failing to charge Mbilizi because Hon. Mia is pulling his strings. It is frustrating because we charged the others and some two more will be arrested and charged this week. Mbilizi was the first one to be arrested yet she managed to get her bail on a Sunday and we are told we cannot move on her now and that we should wait until we get a green light,” said one of the officers close to the case.
President Lazarus Chakwera said in his weekly address on Saturday that his government will not protect anyone who was involved in stealing public resources adding that even those who are on the government side will answer individually for their actions.
Insiders said Mbilizi is said to have ‘threatened’ Mia to ‘spill the beans’ over a deal they made when Mia imported some party materials for the MCP in the run up to the 2019 disputed presidential elections. But another close political source revealed that President Chakwera is not aware of the Mbilizi saga.
“I do not think the President is aware that Mbilizi is being protected by some of his cabinet ministers. Mia is using his links in MCP to frustrate the charging of Mbilizi. I am sure if the President becomes aware of this issue, something will happen,” said the political guru who refused to be named.
Mutharika’s powerful personal bodyguard Norman Paulos Chisale and businessman Shaffe Ahmed Chunara, owner of Prestige Imports and exports were arrested and charged over the cement deal and police said they are still continuing with investigations and many more people connected to the case will be arrested and charged.
Mutharika exonerated himself from the deal in a statement released on Friday that he was not aware that some people used his name to import the cement for ‘personal use’ as he had no construction project requiring that huge amount of cement.
Mia could not be reached for comment as his known mobile phone kept ringing despite leaving several messages requiring his comment on accusations that he is ‘protecting’ Mbilizi.
