I'll look after David, Madonna tells father of her adopted son

MADONNA has reassured the father of her adopted son David Banda that his welfare is paramount amid the furore over the singer's divorce from film director Guy Ritchie.

Madonna, 50, sent aides to meet Yohane Banda in Malawi, it was revealed today. The meeting between Mr Banda and Philippe van den Bossche, the executive director of Raising Malawi, the charity set up by Madonna to help orphans, took place last month at a secret location.

Mr Banda, 34, said today: "Philippe told me that Madonna herself will come soon to explain to me everything, but that for the time being I must stay calm because the welfare of David will be well looked after.

"I welcome the opening of lines of communication between me and her because I believe they will help iron out a number of concerns that I have had for some time."

Madonna and Ritchie, 40, adopted David, three, from the Home of Hope orphanage despite the fact his father is alive. The boy's mother had died from complications arising out of childbirth.

Madonna and Ritchie are divorcing after eight years of marriage and are locked in a bitter dispute over her estimated £300 million fortune and where their children will live after the split.

Madonna, who is on tour in the US and performed with Britney Spears in Los Angeles last night, is said to be keen to move to New York with her three children while Ritchie is keen to keep his two sons - David and Rocco, who is their natural child - in London. The father of Madonna's eldest child, Lourdes, lives in New York,

The fact Madonna has sent Mr van den Bossche to meet Mr Banda will inevitably lead to speculation she is trying to ensure David's natural father is "on side" in the dispute over where the children should live.

As revealed by the Evening Standard this week, Ritchie has hired Stephen Cobb QC, Britain's leading expert in divorce cases where children's residence is in dispute. Mr Banda today backed Madonna to take primary care of his son. He said: "I would want my son to go to Madonna."

Mr Banda added: "I had never met Madonna's representatives since my child was taken by Madonna so for me, this was a big opportunity.

"Mr Philippe said he could not give me the date when Madonna will come, but said it would be soon. He told me David was fine, but there were no pictures of David shown to me. They told me Madonna is also fine."

The meeting took place two weeks ago in the town of Mchinji, about 60 miles from Mr Banda's home village of Lipunga. When his wife died, he took David to the orphanage where Madonna spotted him in 2006. He was formally adopted this year and now lives at the family home in Marylebone.

When Madonna first took custody she was accused of circumventing Malawi and Britain's adoption laws - claims she vehemently denied.