ACB probes National Bank of Malawi’s CEO George Partridge over ‘bid-rigging’
The National Bank of Malawi (NB) Chief Executive Officer, George Partridge is under the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation on allegations of collusive tendering and bid-rigging.
ACB has instituted the investigations following a Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) investigations in 2012 which faulted Partridge’s leadership at Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) of creating market monopoly by denying other players in the credit referencing bureau sector in preference to one company.
CFTC, in a determination by its Board of Commissioners and its members on allegations of anti-competitive practices by BAM chaired by Partridge at that time, also faulted the association of suspected collusive tendering and bid-rigging when it awarded a contract to CRB Africa Limited despite some of its members being shareholders.
ACB Senior Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala could not confirm or deny the investigation but pointed out that the bureau received a formal complaint on the issue.
“The bureau processes complaints when they have been received to see if there is merit to warrant the Bureau’s action. It is only when the complaint has been reviewed that the course of action to be taken is known,” explained Ndala.
In the 37-paged report which Nyasa Times has sourced, it is revealed that, CFTC disclosed that BAM has pre-existing credit reference scheme agreement with CRB Africa Limited to exclusively provide credit referencing services to its members, who in turn, would provide credit information of their customers.
The agreement is argued that is contrary to Section 32 of the Competition and Fair Trading Act, which faults the Association of creating a monopoly in the Credit referencing bureau sector by denying other credit referencing bureau players access to the market in preference to CRB Africa which some of its shareholders are executive members of BAM.
The Commission also established that the selection of CRB Africa was done through tender process and the Commission said there was likelihood of collusive tendering and bid-rigging which are anti-competitive practices in the bidding process after established facts of conflict of interest between BAM and CRB Africa which was eventually awarded the contract.
The Commission notes that aside the established anti-competitive practices, some key players in BAM including Partridge happens to be shareholders in Investment Alliance Limited (Malawi), which holds 10 percent shares in CRB Africa.
USELESS ACB, WHY DON’T U PROSECUTE GOODALL GONDWE FOR UNFAIR BIDDING OF MSB??? TO HELL WTH UR BEARAL
Go and probe MIM as well. Insurance bid was supposed to be given to 2 who qualified but has gone to a disqualified entity, evil pple mxii disgusting!
I just feel like this board should be removed.It can not help this nation.It can not solve real hot issues for fear of loosing jobs and life.Please let it go.
Supposedly from a man who preach good corporate governance to his employees. Persue them and unmask them
Patridge, is this a Malawian ? Malawi will keep on crying since foreign figures are controlling DPP .
ACB is the most useless body in Malawi. Malawi can do better without it
Egritta, when is ACB going to arrest your husband after stealing money at State House meant for journalists at Sanjika?
ACB is just suspicious of everything in Malawi, the bureaual does not know what to priotise
Ankawoneka ngati wolungama irimbava yaikulu akuti kubera sukulu ok komanso a ACB mukamayamba nkhanizi zakuba pliz muzizimaliza osati ziZithera panjira ife amalAwi maso athu ndinu gwirani bwino ntchito yanu opanda wina kukupAsani buns
Koma zoona amalawi kumangotuwa ndikugwira ntchito zakalavula gagA ngati zimenezi pamene ena akumapeza mpatawakuba Uhmm tidzafa osauka basi koma misonkho chidulileni mwezi ndi mwezi nAngA atani ngati mboma Akuyamba nazo ndiwo ayi mulungu chitani nazo chochita mbavazi