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Madonna with Child...for Now

Mon., Aug. 6, 2007 10:06 AM PDT by Gina Serpe

The Madonna adoption mess shows no sign of abating.

Days after news broke that Malawi officials were no closer than they were nine months ago to signing off on Madonna and Guy Ritchie's custody of David Banda comes word that the adoption is in danger of falling apart after the court-appointed official assigned to monitor the progress of the case was denied permission to travel to Britain.

Social worker Penstone Kilembe, who was due to visit the famous family's home twice over a period of 18 months to assess the Ritchies' suitability as parents of the nearly two-year-old boy, was barred from entering the U.K. by Malawian Minister of Women and Child Development Kate Kainja.

While Kainja has given no reason for the denial, the Malawi News reported that Kilembe had received his airline ticket and traveling money directly from Madonna herself. While the High Court of Malawi ruled last October that the Richies must cover the costs of the full process, officials apparently want to avoid anything that would be perceived as showing favoritism to the famous family, especially considering the controversy over the adoption.

To that end, Kilembe was either supposed to apply for travel expenses through the Malawi government or seek official signoff on Madonna's payment.

"We have already contacted Madonna that someone else and not Kilembe will come to assess her, because we feel Mr. Kilembe personalized the whole issue when other people can go," Kainja told the Malawi News.

Kilembe has denied he requested Madonna provide him with a ticket and cover his expenses; he also claimed his unceremonious removal from the assignment could doom David's future with the Ritchies.

"What this means is that the whole adoption process may crumble and David sent back to his village," Kilembe told Reuters.

The High Court of Malawi appointed Kilembe to check up on David at the Ritchies' home last fall. Based on testimony he's expected to give from his observations of the visits, the court will either formally approve or deny the adoption in fall 2008. The singer and her director husband were awarded just interim custody of the boy last October.

Justin Dzonzi, the lawyer who represented a coalition of 65 human-rights groups that challenged Madonna's adoption last fall, claiming Malawi laws forbid international adoption, agreed with Kilembe, saying his dismissal could jeopardize the adoption.

"The minister cannot change what the court set by having another person do the assessment," he told Reuters. "The court will not listen to anyone else apart from the one it appointed."

A different, unidentified official has reportedly been assigned to monitor David and the Ritchies in Kilembe's place. The official must pay two visits to the couple's London home by next fall.

As it is, Kilembe already missed his first scheduled trip in May and was hoping to touch down in Britain before next month. There's no word on whether new assessor will stick to the same timeline.