UDF rebuffs ‘smear campaign’ against Atupele

The United Democratic Front (UDF) says there is a helpless attemptto dent the image of the party’s presidential candidate, Atupele Muluzi by some desperate politicians ahead of the forthcoming tripartite elections.

The UDF party was reacting to some press reports over the weekend that linked Atupele to a controversial contract he is alleged to have signed when he was minister of Economic Planning and Development.

According to the report,  a company called Sai Balaji of India was awarded a contract to profile Malawi as part of a public relations strategy to woo investors into Malawi.

The report says the job was done and efforts by the company to get payment for the same has not born fruits as government officials rejected the contract saying it was improperly done.

Atupele Muluzi:  Subject of smear campaign
Atupele Muluzi: Subject of smear campaign

However, there have also been contradicting statements from government on the matter with Minister of Economic Planning and Development Ralph Jooma saying the matter is in the hands of police while police and ACB gave feigned ignorance of the matter.

Surprisingly according to records at the registrar of companies Sai Balaji is a locally registered company which was registered in August 2012 after the alleged contract was signed.

According to records the company does not deal with public relations or media consultancy but rather Yoga and a Salon.

UDF publicist Ken Ndanga told Nyasa Times that the party smells a rat in all this because evening the owners of the company are not openly claiming the so called payment.

“All we are seeing are articles in the press that only seek to drag the name of our president in the mad. We know this is all political. They know the UDF candidate is clean and they want to dent his image “said Ndanga.

“The company was registered in January 2013 and Atupele left cabinet in October 2012. How could he have signed a contract with a company that never existed. We believe the company was registered solely to either create a scam for Atupele or defraud government,”  Ndanga noted.

He said the UDF leader has never signed any contract with any company and he knew his responsibilities well he was cabinet minister.

Ndanga said the accusations are  are a “smear campaign”.reg cert

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