ACB accused of misusing fuel allocations as bureau’s own vehicles sit grounded for lack of funds

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is facing allegations that senior officials, including Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi, have been benefiting from additional fuel allocations outside the Bureau’s approved entitlement policy — even as several of its official vehicles sit grounded for lack of maintenance funding, according to documents and sources who spoke to Nyasa Times .

Sources familiar with the Bureau’s internal operations allege that senior management has been sharing fuel under a category described as “local running,” which, according to these sources, is not included in the ACB’s official fuel entitlement list for directors.

Six ACB vehicles are confirmed to be out of service in Lilongwe — registration numbers MG 830, MG 331, MG 165, MG 940, MG 545, and MC 4757 — with the Bureau citing a lack of funds for maintenance.

Similar issues are said to affect vehicles at the Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba offices.

According to sources, the Director of Corruption Prevention, who also chairs the Bureau’s Institutional Integrity Committee, is among those alleged to have benefited from the fuel arrangement.

Nyasa Times has not independently verified this claim, and the official in question has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Sources also allege that when Chembezi travels to Blantyre on official business, he hires a vehicle on arrival while instructing government drivers to travel separately by road with official vehicles — an arrangement sources say results in duplicated costs.

This publication put these allegations to ACB.

The ACB has previously cited funding shortfalls as the reason for the grounded vehicle fleet.

This story will be updated with any response received.