ACB arrest Malawi Tourism boss in ‘cash-gate’ crackdown
Malawi’s anti-graft body, the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested Leonard Kalonga, Chief Tourism Officer in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife for allegedly conniving with different people to defraud government.
This is one of the many arrests the ACB and fiscal police have made since September in relation to the famous cash-gate scandal, which forced one of the donor countries, Norway to suspend aid to Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa.
ACB Publicist, Egrita Ndala disclosed in an email to Nyasa Times that Kalonga had corruptly employed services of various people owning companies and defrauded government of undisclosed large sums of money.
“In August, 2013, the Anti-Corruption Bureau received a complaint alleging that Mr. Leonard Kalonga connived with different people to defraud Malawi Government. The Anti-Corruption Bureau immediately instituted investigations,” explained Ndala.
Ndala said Kalonga would be taken to court to be charged after he has been interviewed on the matter.
Kalonga is expected to be charged with corrupt use of official powers contrary to Section 25 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act and obtaining money by false pretences contrary to Section 319 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, President Joyce Banda has instituted special crime committee to work with other authorities in uncovering more in the cash-gate scandal that is reported to have defrauded government billions of money through ghost contracts.
Vice-president, Khumbo Kachili is expected to present a report on the issue to Parliament when it meets on October 21st.
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