Businessman Shiraz cashgate charges dismissed: ‘Genuine supplier to Malawi army’
Law enforcement agencies have dismissed Cashgate allegations levelled against business tycoon Shiraz Ferreira of S.F International in supplying to Malawi Defence Force, as he is cleared as genuine supplier who followed the terms.
Ferreira was embroiled into Cashgate accusations that he was defrauding government by getting payments on goods he did not supply.
But investigations with the military shows S.F International has a contract with the Malawi Government to supply military equipment to the Malawi Defence Force.
His payments were as per agreed contract terms, the military indicated.
S.F International has also been cleared by the Army for honouring the contract for the equipment and supplies to the barracks.
Malawi law enforcement agencies including Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and Police fiscal Unit have all indicated there are no grounds of pursuing S.F International.
“S. F International has been a preferred supplier to the Malawi Defence Force for the last five years and is also the local Malawian representative for OTT Technologies who are military equipment manufacturers based in Pretoria, South Africa,” said a top military officer who asked his name and rank to be shielded.
On an earlier cheques paid and cashed for S.F International, investigators indicate it was a local dealership (name withheld) of Indian origin connived with officials at Reserve Bank of Malawi to sell them sensitive documents relating to S. F International Business transactions for “smear campaign” after the dealership were disgruntled by losing the tender to S. F International.
Another online news outlet Malawi Voice also claimed in a story that Shiraz fled the country but swiftly retracted the story as false, saying he was in Malawi going by his daily business. The false story was then put offline.
“Shiraz Ferreira did leave for South Africa on February 22 with his family for unknown business on the February 2014 and returned on March 3 2014 on his own will,” the publication clarified.
Authorities said “it is clear that unlike what has been so far on this issue, S.F International is not in anyway associated in cashgate scandal and not only is the company a valid contract with the Malawi government but the supplies are being delivered in accordance to the contract.”
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