Embattled Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) Chief Executive Officer Henry Kachaje is still discharging his duties one year on, with an injunction obtained at the High Court.
The injunction, which is still keeping Kachaje in office was obtained kn 2021, and since then, the case has been sluggish.
“As you might recall, there was an injunction that was obtained against the Ombudsman not to release the determination on the recruitment of MERA CEO. We went to court to vacate the injunction but High Court judge Kenyatta Nyirenda did not grant our request so the injunction was not vacated.
“We then filed an appeal in the supreme court and since then we have been waiting for dates to be set for hearing, for us and the other party to be heard,” Ombudsman Grace Malera said
Malera, who also noted that the hearing for the appeal has taken long, said the Ombudsman has no any control over court processes.
She said all they can do is to wait for the court to set the date.
There was no comment from High Court and Supreme Court registrar Kondwani Banda as we went to press as he could not be reached.
The Office of the Ombudsman was served the injunction 10 minutes after Malera and her team started presenting findings of the investigative report titled ‘Curbing Impunity’ at a press briefing in Lilongwe on November 10 2021.
The report, which went viral on social media before being officially presented, nullified the appointment of Kachaje as Mera chief executive officer on the basis that recruitment procedures were flouted.
The Ombudsman’s investigation into the matter was ignited by three separate complaints from Richard Chapweteka, one of the applicants for the post, who had also been interviewed and the Forum for National Development and Public Appointments committee.
In it’s submission, Mera argued that Ombudsman Malera was conflicted in the matter as she also applied for the position, but was not shortlisted.
