ACB to probe Macra over stench of corruption

Corruption-busting body has confirmed that it will  investigate Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)  over allegations of corruption during the reign of  top boss Godfrey Redson Itaye.

Nyasa Times has been consistently reporting that Itaye  was at the center of top level corruption including awarding dubious contracts to his own parents in laws and is also alleged to have pocketed $150 thousand dollars bribe from Agilis International, a firm contracted to upgrade the controversial CIRMS well known as ‘ spy’ machine.

ACB Director-General Reyneck Matemba confirmed  the investigations will commence and that it has also been moved by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC)  to probe the organisation in relation to suspected looting of close to K1 billion.

The allegations  include the withdraw of K10 million, between January and June 2020, without supporting documents, that is purported to have been shared among the regulator’s managers.

In a letter dated August 11, 2020, HRDC also questions a K750 million ($1 million) payment to a firm known as AGLIS. The machine allegedly did not need any upgrade.

“It is alleged that the machine is working properly and did not need any upgrade. However, management and AGLIS are suspected to have conspired so that AGLIS would indicate that there was need for an upgrade and were then paid $1 million.

“Subsequently, no upgrade was done and Macra was not repaid the money. It is alleged that the money was shared between some Macra staff members and AGLIS,” reads the HRDC letter in part.

HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence confirmed to have penned the letter, saying it was part of the organisation’s whistle-blowing initiative that has seen the reporting to ACB of numerous maladministration conducts that took place during the Democratic Progressive Party-led administration.