Blithe Constructions Ltd denies being part of cashgate
Directors of Blithe Construction Limited, one of the companies appearing on the list of names of building/civil engineering contractors who are suspected to have been conduit of alleged dubious payments at the Ministry of Local Government, have challenged that they are not part of the looters and have since requested for an audience with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to clear the mist.
According to a list of names of civil and building contractors that were published in a local newspaper, it is alleged that a suspected dubious K5,436, 961.47 was paid to Blithe Construction Ltd in May 2013.
But in response the company argues that it was awarded a contract to construct a bust depot and market centre in Mulanje district in 2011 that run through to 2013 under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
The company further says the project was successfully handed-over to the client in July 2013.
“Only one payment was made this year of K6,705,168.20 on 30th April, 2013. We therefore refute categorically that the cheque in question was never paid to Blithe Constructions Ltd,” reads the statement issued by the company Monday.
The company owned by Orphan Shaba, son to lawmaker Henry Shaba, further say they have not been interrogated by the ACB or Fiscal Police officers as it should have been on the matter.
“Our values are hard work, respect for work ethics in the built environment and honesty when conducting our business. We find our inclusion on the list as outrageous, malicious, damaging and unfounded bent o destroying our business which we have worked so hard to build,” say the company’s directors.
Meanwhile, the ACB has instituted an investigation to establish how “sensitive information on tasks related to the cash gate” investigations have been leaked to the public.
Lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa representing Julia Banda and Zim Mwenyechanya, owners of Walusako General Dealers, complained at the ACB that twice their names appeared in the media in connection with the cash gate scam only to be told that the registrar of companies registered two companies in the same name although the ownership is apparently different.
As such the ACB has rolled out a different investigation to establish how this happened.
The list of names of civil and building contractors sourced from the Bureau and published in one of the daily papers is said to have included some erroneous details and found its way in the public domain and some diplomatic missions in the country.
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