[(Title)] Malawian president says corruption reports “fake news”

Malawian President Peter Mutharika said on Sunday reports accusing him of fraudulently benefiting from a near $4 million government contact were  "fake news"  as part of a ploy to smear him ahead of a national election next year.

马拉维总统彼得·穆塔里卡周日表示，指控他欺诈性地从近400万美元的政府联系中获益，这是“假新闻”，这是他在明年全国大选前抹黑他的伎俩的一部分。

"I did not personally benefit in any way from the contract and that's why I am concerned about the lack of truth. I am worried about what our country has become in as far as peddling of fake news on social media is concerned,"  he told Reuters.

“我没有从合同中以任何方式受益，这就是为什么我担心缺乏真相。我担心我们的国家在社交媒体上兜售虚假新闻方面已经发展到了什么地步，”他告诉路透社。

"I do understand that it's election season and my opponents will come up with all manner of lies to in an attempt to win the hearts and minds of people."

“我确实理解这是选举季节，我的对手会想出各种各样的谎言，试图赢得人们的心灵和思想。”

Mutharika, president since 2014, has been tipped to be re-elected, but regular allegations of corruption could hobble his campaign in the impoverished southern African nation where reports of government graft have become routine.

自2014年以来，穆塔里卡一直被派往连任总统，但关于腐败的定期指控可能会阻碍他在南部非洲贫困国家的竞选活动，那里的政府贪污事件已经成为家常便饭。

The country's anti-graft body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, has been investigating a $3.9 million Malawi police food supply contract awarded to Pioneer Investments – a firm owned by an Asian-born Malawian businessman Zameer Karim.

该国反腐机构，即反腐局，一直在调查马拉维警方授予先锋投资公司的390万美元食品供应合同，该投资公司是一家亚洲裔马拉维商人Zameer Karim所拥有的公司。

Malawi's two biggest daily newspapers on Friday published what they said was the ACB's final report into the contract.

上周五，马拉维最大的两份日报刊登了反腐局在合同中的最后报告。

The reports, widely circulated on social media, said the businessman deposited 145 million Malawian kwacha ($203,000) into an account belonging to the ruling party and of which Mutharika is sole signatory.

这些报道在社交媒体上广为流传，称该商人将1.45亿马拉维克瓦查（203,000美元）存入属于执政党的账户，而穆萨里卡是其唯一的签字人。

Karim denied wrongdoing.  "My company was awarded the contract after a rigorous process so I don't see any wrongdoing,"  he said.

卡里姆否认有不当行为。他说：“我的公司是在经过严格程序之后被授予合同的，所以我看不到有任何违法行为。”

ACB director general Reneck Matemba did not comment on whether the report reflected its final conclusions, which have yet to be officially published, but said:  "We are still investigating the procurement and we are not finished yet."

反腐局主管Reneck Matemba没有评论该报道是否反映了其尚未正式公布的最后结论，但他说："我们仍在调查采购，尚未完成"。

Malawian presidents have seen the impact of corruption allegations before.

马拉维总统已经看到了以前腐败指控的影响。

"Cashgate" , the 2013 corruption scandal in which senior government officials siphoned millions of dollars from state coffers, saw international donors cut off aid and then-president Joyce Banda go into self-imposed exile in the United States.

2013年的腐败丑闻中，政府高级官员从国库中窃取了数百万美元，国际捐助方切断了援助，时任总统乔伊斯·班达被迫流放到美国。

Malawians next go to the polls in May 2019 to elect the president, parliament and ward councillors.

2019年5月，马拉维人在投票后选出总统、议会和选区议员。

Periodically hit by severe food shortages and power outages, the country is struggling to contain its external debt and put its economy on a sound footing – all chief campaign issues alongside corruption.

由于粮食严重短缺和电力停电，该国正在努力遏制外债并使经济走上坚实的基础，所有这些问题都与腐败同时存在。

"As president, I have demonstrated my commitment to fighting corruption by allowing ACB to even investigate my cabinet.

“作为总统，我甚至允许反腐局调查我的内阁，以此表明我致力于打击腐败。

I didn't block the investigation of one of my ministers over the Zambian maize procurement deal,"  Mutharika said referring to a scandal that saw his agriculture minister arrested for his suspected part in the deal.

我没有阻止我的一位部长就赞比亚玉米采购协议进行调查，" 穆萨里卡提到他的农业部长因涉嫌参与这项交易而被捕的一起丑闻。

With the election, Mutharika faces losing the immunity from prosecution he currently enjoys as sitting president.

在选举之后，穆萨里卡面临失去目前作为现任总统所享有的起诉豁免权。

Mutharika main rivals are Banda, and current deputy president Saulos Chilima, who quit the ruling party last month citing corruption.

穆萨里卡主要竞争对手是班达(Banda)，现任副总裁索洛斯·奇里玛(Saulos Chilima)上个月以腐败为由退出了执政党。

Banda returned home in April and vowed to prove her innocence after more than three years in the self-imposed exile.

班达于4月返回家园，并誓言在流亡三年多之后证明自己是无辜的。