CCJP demands parliamentary probe on K1.9bn Escom fraud
Catholic governance arm, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has told parliament to swiftly investigate the K1.9 billion theft of fuel at Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) meant for power generators which the government dubiously hired from South Africa.
CCJP national coordinator Boniface Chibwana said there was need for the vibrant Public Accounts Committee of parliament to investigate the matter along with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the police.
“This country is in a state of corruption. What has happened at Escom shows that corruption is now entrenched in government departments. This begs the question of whether there is need for the continued appointment of the boards and the top executive by the president,” said Chibwana.
He said experience has shown that the ruling party uses or corruption tactics to fund operations of its party with public money.
Chibwana therefore said the investigations at Escom were beyond the police, saying parliament through Public Accounts Committee and the ACB can work together to find out who was the real personalities behind the theft of the fuel.
The diesel, stolen between January and June this year, was meant for running power generators being managed by Aggreko International Projects—an independent power producer (IPP)—to help mitigate the power generation crisis in the country in the wake of challenges faced by Electricity Generation Company (Egenco).
Escom spokespesperson Innocent Chitosi said five people including truck drivers and guards were arrested in connection with the theft but the police are refusing to comment on the matter, an indication that some powerful political figures were involved.
The confirmation of the racket confirms revelations by Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC), who during the launch of United Transformation Movement (UTM) Southern Region rally at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre on Sunday, said that at least three million litres of fuel were recently stolen at the parastatal.
The Vice-President cited the diesel racket in his emphasis of entrenched corruption and fraud in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
During the Sunday rally, Chilima—who stuck to his script of condemning the rot draining public resources in the DPP administration—also challenged responsible authorities to investigate officials from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and State Residences over their alleged roles in the award of a contract in the procurement of Escom generators to the fourth bidder instead of the successful bidder.
The Vice-President said a brave female Escom chief executive officer (Evelyn Mwapasa) was transferred to a ‘small” institution for allegedly refusing to take instructions from the officials.
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Electricity problems are man made deliberately promoted to create a conduit for siphoning public resources!! Just go and check the types of houses and numbers of the houses per person each of ESCOM’s accounts and procurement personnel are building at Kameza and Chatha in Blantyre! You will be amazed…………………………………………………………………………….!! Malawi ali pa motoooooooo!!
Dziko la Malawi lawola kwabasi. mbava kuyambila mtsogoleri wa dziko mpaka alonda ku ESCOM. Pliz Malemu John Chilembwe come back to life and beat these thieves plz i beg!!!!!!!!
Even if you can play the tricks of every jim and jack interms of corruption. Please you have to know that the 4oth day will expose all the immoral acts of corruption. We dont have enough medicine in hospitals. Poor infrastructures in public schools but we dont even mind about it. God have mercy on malawi ..A lutepo ndi awa atulukawa ..dziko ndi anthu ake
Abale ya ma Gensetyi yatikwana tayimva kwa nthawi yayitali ziyikambani direct ndi a bomawo mpaka mufike nayo pa conclusion,timveko zina.
The only way is to for the CEO of ESCOM and the Chair of the Board to resign from their posts. This will pave way for meaningful investigation on this matter. This company appears to be a conduit for the local political Mafia thugs. Why should we continue in this path in Malawi? Seriously?
CCJP you are wasting your time calling a parliamentary probe. Tell me one parliamentary probe that has yielded any tangible outcome despite glaring evidence of wrongdoing. Maizegate/Admarc came close but where are the culprits…..scot free and roaming in the streets of Malawi with no regret whatsoever. This is sabotage of note given that energy is a state security matter; therefore all we need are smart lawyers who can pursue this case pro bono just to set a lesson that Malawi society has had enough of this level of stupidity by politicians. This kind of robbery should have called for a… Read more »
Start the discussion…RASHEED GAFFAR aka RASHY Wapopa mafuta onse kuti chipani cha DPP chikhale ndi thumba lokwana la campaign. Dzuka Malawi. The PRINCE of THIEVES is using these business guys to steal our tax.
People are living opulent life style in Malawi at expense of poor people, corruption has become the order of the day in government departments and statutory bodies. It is a crying shame for a country which is rated as one of the poorest but now I know why? A good number of houses people have constructed for themselves in our big cities are from stolen money, but what you should know that you will soon die and live all that “stolen” wealth.