BBC documentary says DAPP deducts money from Malawi workers to sponsor cultism
A humanitarian organisation in Malawi has come under the spotlight for deducting money from its workers, as much as 30 per cent to sponsor cultism like management and is embroiled in fraud and tax evasion.
A BBC documentary program, Assignment, says all workers at Direct Aid from People to People (DAPP) are deducted money from their salaries from 10 per cent to 30 per cent to sponsor their cult like leaders who are in hiding in Mexico.
Workers who duly identified themselves during the interview confirmed this to the BBC.
The reporters also got hold of the payroll which showed huge deductions from the workers pay to sponsor a group called Teachers Group.
DAPP is the brain child of some Dutch teachers who volunteered to teach in Africa and in the process started the organisation which attracted huge sums of money for humanitarian purposes .
Dapp runs education, health and agriculture projects in Malawi, and has received tens of millions of pounds in the last decade from Unicef, the EU and the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID)..
However the leaders of DAPP are on the run, believed to be in Mexico after Interpol issued a warrant of arrest on fraud and tax evasion charges.
Unicef, which has worked very closely with DAPP in Malawi says it has suspended its relationship with the humanitarian organisation.
DfID says it is reviewing its relationship with DAPP in Malawi.
“We will not hesitate to act in any situation if wrongdoing is proven. DfID welcomes any evidence and documentation that the BBC can send us in order to investigate these serious allegations,” DfID told the BBC.
BBC says it is taking its evidence to DfID and other donors who have the power to investigate further and make sure aid money is all used for the benefit of the people who need it most in Malawi.
DAPP officials refuted the allegations.
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Sorry guys this is damaging to Dapp
sizodabwitsa I have a friend who works for dapp she told me kuti amawadula akuti zachitukuko kaya chitukuko chake chiti kaya
Nyasatimes, it is such kind of reporting that is not accepted! Why do you want the BBC look more credible again?? It was just last week when your Zicheche-eating president acted on fisi-cultural practices just because the BBC wrote about it! Now it you “praising” the BBC for writing about DAPP’s under-dealings? The Malawi News already wrote of these under-dealings at DAPP – look at this link to one of their stories on this issue http://www.times.mw/unicef-cracks-whip-on-dapp/ . Malawi will not progress with this neo-colonialist mentality that is creeping even into our media!
What is the problem if bbc reports this? The scandal that some azungu media seem to know Malawi better than us. Everyone knew about fisi but noone did something although malamulo akuti that fisi is illegal. When do we start to use our laws as they were intended to?,
While your views are right with regards to the fisi story I must say that they quite do not apply here. There was nothing investigative in the times piece, it stuck to s/he said type of journalism. The times piece was also restricted to the local context and it simply regurgitated interviews. The dapp officials who were interviewed weren’t interrogated and their word was taken as truth. What the BBC story does on the other hand is to expose that is a highly organized global activity. Now we know where the deducted salaries from Malawian teachers end up and this… Read more »
I disagree with you. Your reporters at the so called newspaper need to do more than the gutter journalism they exhibit. Reportage is too shallow to move any anything. Perhaps it tells the quality of the so called editors/reporters hired.
I was once on teaching practice from one of the constituent colleges of the university of Malawi, and what i sensed at DAPP ttc was indeed an indication that these guys are in for something. I did just respected their values then but vowed never to associate with them in my life
Actually, it it surprises me when the name of this organization has the word “AID” when they are just in business like any other Kaunjika seller. Actually their kaunjika is more expensive than the other sellers. What kind of aid is this?