Exposed! Walter wants to bribe Police for FA Malawi polls

Beleaguered Football Association of Malawi (FAM) outgoing president Mac Millan Walter Nyamilandu Manda is doing everything possible to retain his seat for the fourth time during the December 12 polls by even planning to bribe presiding officers and policemen, Nyasa Times can reveal.

Nyamilandu met FAM Secretary General Suzgo Nyirenda and FAM member James Mwenda in Salima on Saturday where the plan was hatched.

There was a beach tournament at Livingstonia Beach in Salima at the weekend and the trio disguised the event for their meeting.

But when Nyasa Times reporters noticed that the three were nowhere near the event, they, like in a an undercover style, secretly followed the three who were holed up in Nyamilandu’s room 216 at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach Resort.

We saw Nyirenda, clad in his red Flames Replica jersey embodied ‘Malawi’ at the back, carrying Nyamilandu’s bags from his dark grey Toyota Fortuner registration number NB 4411 while Mwenda who was putting on a green Flames replica jersey and Nyamilandu in a black and gold stripped FIFA addidas golf-shirt followed on.

When Nyasa Times reporter secretly positioned himself near the room, it was shocking to learn that the three were planning on rigging the vote using underhand tactics.

“We can just pay the presiding officers and even the police officers on the day so that they help us. How much do you think we can pay them?” asked Nyamilandu in his high-pitched-horse voice.

“I think K200,000 to K300,000 would be enough,” suggested his ‘errand boy’ Nyirenda.

Our plan to listen in and record the whole conversation was botched when our reporter’s phone rung suddenly and this disturbed the trio who stopped talking and Mwenda went outside the room to check what was happening.

Fortunately our reporter managed to duck and perched himself at a place where he could see room 216 but was not within earshot of their clandestine plans.

They stayed in the room for close to three hours with Walter coming in and out to attend to various phone calls.

Mwenda drove back to Lilongwe after the meeting while Nyamilandu spent the night in room 216 and Nyirenda was allocated another room within the Resort.

Insiders also revealed that the police officers who will be paid by the Nyamilandu camp will be used to intimidate supporters of other candidates by accusing them of flimsy charges like being drunk and will be thrown out of the voting hall.

Our sources close to Nyamilandu also revealed that he has put aside a whopping K45 million for the campaign ‘because he has a lot to lose if he does not retain the seat’.

Insiders also said Nyamilandu has managed to ‘silence’ prominent local journalists in the country especially at the two national newspapers, The Nation and The Daily Times as no one dares to report on various financial scandals that have hit FAM in recent years.