ACB probes contract of Salima- Lilongwe Water Project: Kondowe working with Khato

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said it will open a probe into a $500 million (K400 billion) Lilongwe-Salima water project to improve water supply in the capital city, after receiving a complaint on the contract.

Khato Civils, a construction and engineering company headquartered in South Africa and owned by a Malawian billionaire Simbi Phiri, is appearing on the court record as Khato Civils Proprietary Limited.

ACB spokeswoman Egrita Ndala said the bureau received “a complaint”  regarding the contract which was awarded to Khartoum.

But Ndala said “investigations has not yet commenced.”

Ironically, former ACB boss Lucas Kondowe is currently working as consultant with Khato Civils on  issues of Finance, controls, governance, assurance and strategic planning since January this year.

Khato Holdings Limited unveiled to the media multi-million kwacha machinery for the construction of the pipeline from Lake Malawi in Salima to Lilongwe to ease water problems in Lilongwe, disclosing that $13 million (K9.8 billion) had already been invested.