Dzoole claims K4bn is reward to MPs who suffocated Electoral Reforms Bills
Lilongwe Msozi South member of Parliament (MP) Vitus Dzoole Mwale (MCP) has claimed that the allocated K4 billion to 86 parliamentary constituencies was a token of appreciation to lawmakers who frustrated the Electoral Reforms Bills.
Mwale said the money is a give away to MPs “who diverted the process of 50+1 Bill, so they are the beneficiaries of that.”
According to Mwale, the matter is already in public domain
“ I heard it on Zodiak [radio] that this money which was allocated to 86 Members of Parliament was allocated to the people who diverted the process of 50+1 Bill, so they are the beneficiaries of that. It is already on the radio,” he said.
Dowa East MP Richard Chimwendo Banda (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) described the funding of K4 billion as “serious crime.”
“It is not a small matter and Parliament should not condone such a matter,” he said. He continued: “We are talking about K3.4 billion which has been given to Members of Parliament and without following the procedure and criteria. It is a serious crime.”
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is also Leader of the House, said funding is in this Mid-Year Budget Review.
“That is the reason why government brought this to the House so that the Members of this House can approve or disapprove. Therefore, assertions that the money has already been shared are not correct,” Nankhumwa said.
However, Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament chairperson Rhino Chiphiko described the transaction as suspicious.
Chiphiko said the Finance Minister’s earlier explanation that the funding is from grants does not hold either.
“I am very suspicious about the source of the funds that they have come from one vote or another. There is no proper statement on what this money will be used for and as I said in the response to the budget statement, government wants to use the money for financing political campaigns,” he said.
Ministries of Finance and Local Government on Wednesday were at pains to state where such money came from as pressure mounted on the motive behind the allocation that parliamentarians later agreed should be spread to all 193 constituencies instead of just 86.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe insisted the money was from taxes, grants and borrowing and was saved from the re-adjustments of the 2017/18 budget that saw cuts to the development budget.
Meanwhile, Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has indicated that it was reviewing the matter.
“The bureau has recorded a statement on the matter based on media reports. The bureau will review the complaint to assess if there is merit to warrant its action,” the graft-busting body senior public relations officer Egrita Ndala has said.
Another opposition MCP lawmaker, Juliana Lunguzi, said MPs’ decision to accept the funding across 193 constituencies, will be to “legalise something which is illegal.”
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MPS that did not assert to the bill and were not included on the initial list of beneficiaries should refute this money. I appeal to you for the sake of your integrity don’t accept this money no matter how Goodall sugar coats it. It is illegal money, you cannot make a wrong right by saying every MP should join in the loot. Salvation will come in 2019. I know times are hard but i appeal to you resist this dirty money. We have come a long way and 2019 is just around the corner.
A Dzoole, I am sure mwakalamba and mwakhalitsa Ku nyumba ya malamulo. Paja a kongilesi you believe za u LIFE. It is actually MCP that suffocated the electoral reform bill through their record absentism on that decisive day. By the way were you absent as well Dzoole. Chakwera was on record, according to Nation Newspaper, that he did not want the 50+1 reform but PAC was forcing him. The man is so weak that he could not tell PAC his mind. Malawi does not need such a weak person as a president. To counter PAC Chakwera asked his MPs to… Read more »
IF DEMOSTRATIONS WILL BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO STOP THIS GLUTTONOUS TRANSACTION, COUNT ME IN. Chilima, you must give your moral decadence lecture to these greedy and good for nothing parliamentarians including Goodall and the Prince of thieves. Otherwise i will call you a hypocrite and a coward who can’t face decadence in your own house. If you are holier than thou then fix your DPP government. Period. K4 billion can better buy medicines, school desks, build houses for teachers or police officers than this wanton and imprudent deal. MPs will be guilty of being in possession of public funds not… Read more »
ACB is under the spell of DPP. I can comfortably make a prediction that if civil society or the church do not take this matter head on, nothing will happen. Come 2019 ACB will still be investigating. Trust me!
I hear you, I hear you and pray God can give us a handful of reliable Mps , reliable civil society and a reliable church which is ready to SCREAM against this EVIL in any little way. Time for talking is over and power is too sweet to let go. If you think am kidding ask Saddam Hussein!