Malawi president's brother is de facto second-in-command

President Bingu wa Mutharika is running the government machinery in Malawi together with his brother, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, who has commandeered the operations of the government as a de facto vice president, government insiders have complained.

The President’s brother was not elected by the people of Malawi to any position.

He is a professor of International Economic Law, International Law and Comparative Constitutional Law at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity in the US but has been recalled by his brother to "assist" him in running the show in the Southern African country.

A. Peter Mutharika has thus taken a sabbatical from his usual teaching duties and is Malawi's de-facto and sneaky Vice President.

"Peter Mutharika is now working as a vice president. He has all the powers to order a cabinet minister. Some of us are meant to brief him before meeting the Head of State," a source, who did not want to be identified, said.

"What is happening in the administration of Mutharika is fiefdom. State House has been turned into a family circus," he disclosed.

Peter was seen at the airport inspecting a guard of honour of the Malawi Defence Force recently when President Mutharika left the country, meaning the authority of power was handed to him.

In the meantime, the real Vice President of Malawi, Dr. Cassim Chilumpha, languishes under house arrest on charges of Treason, trumped up by President Mutharika to keep the duly elected Vice President away from the levers of power.

Constitutional analysts agree that under the laws of Malawi, the President is "wrong" to give state authority to the unelected brother. All agree that the President's brother is acting illegally as an "adviser on legal and political matters."

Those close to the President believe that his brother was brought on board upon the advice of doctors who were concerned about the failing health of the septuagenarian, widowed president himself.

Yet, Mutharika has two political advisors; ruling party secretary general Hetherwick Ntaba and his deputy Francis Mphepo operating on tax payer’s money.

The Attorney General, Jane Ansah, is also an official legal advisor to the President. Chief Secretaryto the office of president and cabinet, Bright Msaka, is also a legal expert.

Mutharika has been a subject of prostate cancer rumours. His wife, Ethel, died this year of cancer.

State House chief-of-staff, Charles Namondwe, a President's nephew could not immediately comment on whether Peter was on the State House pay roll.

A Minister who is comment-happy refused to comment on the story describing it as: "hot-charcoal, I can't handle it."