Chilima speaks on K53bn ‘Uniform-gate’: Karim Batawarara denting Malawi govt’s image
State Vice President Saulos Chilima has said only a mad person would buy a belt at K100 000 and a shirt at K60 000 and has asked authorities to properly investigate the infamous profiteering in the controversial K53 billion Immigration uniforms supply deal christened as ‘Uniform gate’ scandal at the Immigration department.
“It will only be a mad man who will buy a belt at K100 000 and a T- shirt at K60 000. This is pure theft. I would like to ask those investigating this issue to go to the very end of this and the people involved should be prosecuted,” said Chilima.
Addressing a news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Chilima said there are several corruption scandals that he would want to talk about in a few days time and the ‘unformgate’ is one of them.
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has since expressed fears of profiteering in the Immigration uniforms supply deal after noting exorbitant prices for items like gloves at K60 000.
PAC chairperson Alekeni Menyani said his committee has cast doubt at some claims in the deal such as a single uniform shirt for an Immigration officer pegged at about K60 000 and in some cases a belt quoted at K100 000.
The committee also invited the two contracted companies—Africa Commercial Agency and Reliance Trading Company—that are demanding K53.9 billion for a K9 billion contract to supply uniforms and other accessories to the Immigration Department through a 2012 contract. Delivery, however, only started five years later.
The two companies are owned by controversial businessman Abdul Karim Batawarara.
Recently, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) wrote President Peter Mutharika to intervene in the matter.
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MALAWI WAKE UP, ALL THIS IS HAPPENING CAUSE WE LOVE SLEEPING,
Zopusazo ayi sitingapereke lamamba mmodzi MK100,00 or ma body guard a Trump savala lamba wodula choncho. What is special with an immigration officer? Shiit
Akagwere
The contract is dated back in 2012 before Peter Mutharika, get your facts correct.
Obviously Chilima wears cheap stuff. There are people out there who are spending more than that on belt and shirts and they are not mad its just that 0they can afford it. Kodi kumene mukumakayendako simumakaona mitengo ya dzinthu? I don’t condone the practice that was conducted by the indians. But you can not call someone who is able to spend a mad man, that’s nonsense.
i think u are missing the path here mr pathfinder! he has not said anything that u are alluding to, yes we know there are designer belts more expensive than that and people who buy them u have said already yourself. so if you are a poor guy and you go for such a belt the price of which chokes you what will people call you or say about you?
JJ ndi chitsirudi ndaona lero. Anthu ankandiuza kuti mkuluyu ndiozerezeka, lero ndakhulupirira
Mbewe, i think something is wrong with you. Are you sure malawians tax money can be used to buy such expensive things? We dont have medical facilities in our hospital, how can someone who is mentaly sharp buy a belt for 100, 000? I agree with mr SK
DPP thugs live in their Fong Kong fantasy world. Mwina akanakhala makobiri anu, tsono nanga misonkho ya anthu osawuka yemweyi? Kenako mumange ma stadium 4 muka city kakang’ono ngati Blantyre. Koma ndiye phada weniweni.
Numbskull logic ndithu.
I agree with Malume this is about tax ya a Malawi and someone playing phada with it by buying those items at those prices that is theft at its best.
Please be professional on your reporting, he answered a question on this not speaking about it. you should be able to differentiate the two.
Dr Banda new how best to deal with this kind of business man. He never tolerated this rubbish, word has it that one white man gave ngwazi a mecerdenz as a gift but three weeks later he was deported,how true this is I don’t know I was very young,but that’s the way it is said he did it. Our mulmultiparty democracy presidents will grab a bribe and pretend nothing happened. Shame on the leadership.
Chilima why now after others have talked about it? Don’t fool us!
he was out of the country remember when this issue imafika povuta
let us learn to appreciate. at least he spoke.
Nothing happens to rich people jail is for the poor .. this kalim batatawara is finishing malawi off with no sympathy. He is forgetting above all god shall show him one day.god bless our poor nation.amen
The time has come god is with us and we will deal with this and other crooked businessman who want to reap us poor Malawians.
Ndife CADET iwe
With the amount of money he has trust me he is above the law here in nyasaland,he bribes anyone from Peter mutharika to the lowest police officer in the police service so tell me who is going to stop him? Why did we let this thug from Bombay get the keys to our account number 1 and steal unlimited money? Shame on us malawians.
SURELY SHAME ON OUR CORRUPT SYSTEM.