Businessman Mpoola, senior civil servant nabbed: Malawi cash-gate crackdown
In its ongoing sweeping exercise, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two more people suspected to have been involved in the now famous Malawi cash-gate scandal.
The two are Mkhuzo James Bandula Chirwa, a Senior Quantity Surveyor with Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Lilongwe and business guru, Stafford Mpoola.
ACB Senior Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times, that the suspects were arrested Monday following complaints that some government officers at Capital Hill, the government seat, were making entries in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
Mdala said according to ACB investigations, Mpoola is alleged to have been allegedly involved in siphoning money amounting to K1, 113,397,413.31 from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) through his company, Stadal Building Construction.
Mpoola is also a signatory to Dan Civil Engineering and Building Contractors which is also mentioned as part of the syndicate that has stolen billions of government money through ghost contracts and companies.
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau immediately instituted investigations. The Bureau established that there was no contract between government and Stadal Building Construction or Dan Civil Engineering and Building Contractors,” explained Ndala.
She said Mpoola would be taken to court to be officially charged after he has been interrogated on the matter.
“He may be charged with procuring corrupt use of official powers contrary to Section 25 (2) of the Corrupt Practices Act and obtaining money by false presences contrary to Section 319 of the Penal Code,” she added.
On Chirwa’s arrest, the senior public relations officer said investigations revealed that he received K38, 056,014.00 in August this year from government without providing any service.
The civil servant, who owns Zozama Civil Engineering, is also said to have deposited three government cheques worth K55, 488,000.00, K40, 000,000.00 and K20, 800,078.61 between August and September this year into Clive Engineering Company owned by Denis Mwezi Mhango which he later on collected.
According to Mdala, upon instituting investigations it was discovered that Malawi Government did not have any contract with Zozama Civil Engineering and Clive Engineering Company.
Chirwa is also expected to be taken to court for official charges on the counts of corrupt use of official powers contrary to Section 25 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act and obtaining money by false pretenses contrary to Section 319 of the Penal Code.
The arrest of the two brings the total number of the apprehended suspects connected to the saga that has led to government losing over K1.6 billion to nine.
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