Auditor General hands to ACB names of 13 companies in ‘grand corruption’

Officials from the graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it has received 13 company names from the Auditor General on the suspects of the infamous K577 billion plunder of public resources following  a forensic audit conducted by RSM Risk Assurance LLP of the UK covering 2009 to 2014.

ACB director Lucas Kondowe confirmed receipt of the company names from the Auditor General’s office.

“We have received the 13 files of the companies suspected to have been involved in the cashgate. What we are waiting is the report  which contain individual names,” Kondowe said.

He said as soon as the office gets the report, ACB officers will study it thoroughly to see a line of prosecution.

“As soon as we get the report, we will get to business, we will see how to prosecute the cases,” said Kondowe.

The public money loot is said to have happened between 2009 and 2014.

The summary of the ‘grand corruption’ audit report, however, says the K577 billion that is regularly quoted as unaccounted for is incorrect and has reduced the un-reconciled amount to K236 billion.

Says the report in its Executive Summary: “It is likely that the remaining unreconciled amount could be reduced further if additional analysis were to be taken.”

Auditor General Stepheson Kamphasa on Tuesday held the names of the suspects named in the report, saying he needed a legal opinion from the Attorney General.

Bingu wa Mutharika died of heart attack in 2012 whilst Banda went into self imposed exile soon after losing the presidential election to President Peter Mutharika in the 2014 May general election.

Reports indicate seven sitting cabinet ministers are implicated but their names are still kept under wraps

But following speculations , Minister of Labour Henry Mussa pleaded innocence, rejecting any link to the plunder. Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda also exonerated himself after being told in parliament that he is amongst the seven rotten ministers.