Kalibu Academy on new “Most Wanted” List

Kalibu Academy Subject of New Criminal Investigations

By: Peter Kaphale

Kalibu Academy, the private Christian school located near Chileka has once again garnered media attention with the publication of a new “Most Wanted” list of top officials.

A Facebook Post on the Michael Thomas Howard Scandal page reads in part as follows, “we have now received a cash donation from a donor in the United States for the arrest and conviction of Michael Thomas Howard, Paisley Mavutula, Norma Konono, and several other members and missionaries associated with Kalibu Academy and Kalibu Ministries. For more information about the cash rewards available, please visit the following website: michaelthomashoward.org and click on ‘Cash Rewards,’ or click on this following link: http://wp.me/P6Ubl5-lO ”

Earlier this year, Howard, Mavutula and the school came under fire after multiple reports surfaced about physical and sexual abuse at the elite Academy.

Minister of Gender, Patricia Kaliati had the following to say at the time: “They need to respect the right of every child and also follow the act of 2010 of Child Care, Protection and Justice. We want to see every child being protected and cared for. There is no care if they are brutally beaten and molested. Kalibu academy is a school that should be educating children and follow the right direction.”

Since that time, Howard, who was known to reside in Finland, has resurfaced in Malawi and it has been reported that plans are being made to open a primary school in the fall.

In the United States, an ongoing investigation headed by American Brian Culwell reports new criminal and civil investigations underway as well.

“Michael is not coming back to the US without facing arrest.  He is now under criminal investigation at both the state and Federal level.  He has been coming into the United States for decades now, illegally, and has been falsifying entry documents at the Baltimore airport in order to gain entry.  Needless to say, US Customs was not at all amused or dismissive of these facts, unlike immigration in Malawi, which appears to be totally corrupt and subject to allowing him to enter when and where he pleases.” says Culwell

Another confidential source inside Kalibu Academy had the following to say, “Michael and Paisley are scared and are running everywhere trying to plug the holes.  They told everyone at the recent Pastor’s conference that donations were drying up because of the ongoing investigations.  They’re trying to get more students and open something in Southern Sudan now because Michael can’t go back to Finland or America.  Everyone on the staff is scared and keeping their heads down while looking for other jobs because we know the end is near.”

As for the “Most Wanted” list, this was the brainchild of Culwell, “In America, we have Crime-Stoppers, where cash rewards are given for criminal indictments and prosecution.  We know that there are those who have information in Malawi, but are afraid to come forward because of the reputation Paisley and Michael have for paying off officials.  I mean, Michael tried to have his own sister put in prison by bribing a judge!  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel where catching criminals is concerned: money talks, and if people come forward with real, factual evidence of criminal activity, then there is a nice cash reward for them waiting.  I feel bad for Michael. Many fellow Christians, including me went to him and asked him to deal with these issues, but he simply refuses and when it comes to abusing children, I can’t just look the other way.”

When we asked a local resident, Grace Malenga what she thought, she had the following to say, “These people should leave Malawi. We have too many problems already with hunger and corruption. Why do they need to abuse our children also for money because they don’t care for the Malawians only for their own greed and God will surely judge them for this.”

As of now, calls to numbers for Mavutula and Howard have gone unanswered…