The National Intelligence Service (NIS) has turned down a request by the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) to provide information regarding businessperson Zuneth Sattar who is believed to have been in the country in March this year.

According to a letter addressed to CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa which YFM has seen, NIS Director General Dokani Ngwira has told the human rights centered organisation that the Service does not share information with any unauthorised individual.

“NIS works hand in hand with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) when need arises. However, on the issue of Mr Zuneth Sattar, neither the ACB or Malawi Police Service (MPS) informed the NIS that the subject is a wanted person.

Nevertheless, when the NIS is conducting live operations it does not share information with any unauthorized individual,” reads the letter in part.

Dokani added that NIS applies the need to know principle when it comes to sharing of information to avoid jeopardizing what he calls sensitive investigations.

Reacting to the development, Namiwa said CDEDI will engage its lawyers to map the way forward.

“Just responding to that letter, it tells us that he fully understands that he is working in a public office therefore he supposed to be accountable to the public.

“Talking about the nitty gritty, we are engaging the legal minds to interpret what is the meaning of that response,” he said.

NIS was established by the National Intelligence Service Act of No. 30 of 2018 and it is an independent State institution which reports to the President and assists Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with departmental intelligence.