ACB trails Water Ministry officials  over awarding of K90m contract

Malawi’s graft bursting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating  corrupt activities suspected to have taken place in 2019 at the Ministry of Water and Sanitation.

Records in our possession show that ACB, on Tuesday March 15, 2022, wrote the Water Ministry requesting documents for a project that was awarded in 2019.

The MK90 million project was meant to facilitate the construction of a modernised hydrological system and associated civil works and was awarded to Harlsons Construction.

Sources privy to the matter have told Nyasa Times that one of the losing bidders lodged a complaint to ACB alleging corruption in the manner the contract was awarded.

However, ACB did not pursue the matter at that material time.

Following the change of guard at ACB, where Martha Chizuma is now the boss, she is believed to have given a nod for the complaint to be looked into.

In the letter to Water Ministry, documents which Chizuma’s ACB requested are; bidding documents, tender documents, no objection order from PPDA among others.

Upon receiving the letter from ACB, this publication has it on good authority that officials at Tikwere House, especially those in evaluation committee, are panicking to an extent that they have been running around with documents asking for signatories from the members.

The evaluation team is headed by Peter Kadewere and the procurement team is led by Obed Soko.

Other members of the evaluation team, according to the documents in our possession are, Engineer James Chitete, a Mr. Sikwese, Rod Kunkwezu, Wezzie Mlelemba and Pius Kaunda.

In the doctored document, Eng. Chitete did not append his signature so too is Pius Kaunda.

Chitete is on record to have told one of the daily papers that he indeed refused to put his signature on a document whose project  was awarded in 2019.

“It is unethical for me to do that,” Chitete is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, our investigations have further revealed that Kaunda did no sign the new document as he is believed to have died.

“Chitete refused to sign. Kaunda is dead. There is now panic at Tikwere House. The evaluation committee chair Kadewere and his partner in crime in procurement section Soko are up and down sexing up the bid documents for a project that was done in 2019,” disclosed our source who did not want to be named.

When contacted on whether the Ministry has honoured ACB request, acting Principal Secretary Joseph Magwira was jumpy saying, “the correspondences are between our Ministry and ACB. That is all I can say.”

Sources within ACB have confided to this publication that the bureau has gathered enough evidence on the case and would make a move on the suspects any moment from now.