First Lady must refund Aids money – Chakwera

Leader of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera has  asked First Lady Gertrude Mutharika  to return K5 million to people with HIV and Aids in this country, irregularly taken out of National Aids Commission (NAC)by her organisation Beautify Malawi (Beam) Trust.

Chakwera,  who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president,  told a news conference in Lilongwe on Monday that President Peter Mutharika should also aorder his tribesmen at Mulakho wa Alhomwe to likewise pay back K9.4 million was siphoned under duress out of NAC.

“They should refund the money and we should move on,” Chakwera said, echoing the demands of civio society organisations.

But the First Lady has challenged that money will not be returned.

BEAM’s board member Mavuto Bamusi delivered the most embittered attack on the CSOs bluntly stating that the President’s spouse would not pay back the money.

“As far as BEAM is concerned, no money will be returned to NAC,” said Bamusi.

Minister of Information, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has stressed that government cannot refund money which was taken by independent bodies such as Mulhakho Wa Alhomwe and Beautify Malawi Trust (Beam).