Chaos at Macra as boss Itaye takes over finance directorate

Instability and confusion is reigning supreme at Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) after its  Director General Godfrey Itaye took over duties of the Finance Directorate, despite being manned by professionally qualified and experienced director and deputy, Nyasa Times can reveal.

Finance sources told Nyasa Times that with effect from Friday, all finance issues, including signing of all  cheques, local purchase orders (lpos), management of all MACRA investments Accounts will be handled by Itaye.

MACRA invests billions of kwachas with several investment banks including FDH bank, CDH bank, Alliance Capital. These investmensts are handled by Deputy Director of Finance Elvin Mwapasa, who Itaye suspects is scheming by negotiating with the banks to get a minimum of three percent per month, a commercial bank source confided in Nyasa Times on Monday.

Itaye on Friday left out all Finance Directorate officials opting to take a three man Macra delegation to Mangochi for final negotiations on the controversial  Consilidated ICT Regulatory Management System (CIRMS) – widely known as the spy machine –  contract, which needs to be upgraded by the supplielr Agilis Internatiinal Inc. costing millions of US dollars.

The Macra boss was accompanied by Director of Telekoms, Henry Silika, Director if Legal Affairs Dan Chiwoni.

“How does Macra negotiate such a huge contract upgrade worthy millions of dollars for CIRMS in the absence of anyone from the Finance Directorate?” a Macra source said.

 Nyasa Times can also reveal that Itaye in October last year collected up to $150 thousand dollars  as  inducement from Agilis International representative Rovan in South Africa to ensure the upgrade contract is approved.

The CIRMS machine initially cost $6 142,,608 about MK2.8 billion, but after court wrangles delayed its implantation, the upgrade shot up to $7  729 361 about NK3.4billion, a deal signed under former Minister of Information and  ruling DPP strong man Kondwani Nankhumwa who still calls the shots.

Itaye takes instructions from Nankhumwa, completely ignoring the figurehead current Information minister Nicholas Dausi.

The Macra boss refuses to grant interview to Nyasa Times.