How the Malawi Electoral Commission FDH account came about: Facts of the matter

The K4 billion cheque from Treasury to a Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) current account named Chief Elections Officer –  is yet another propaganda that collapses in the face of truth.

The desperation in Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM camp to find evidence to support their petition in the elections case is reaching a breaking point. The latest of their stunts is to the K4 billion payout.

Alfandika: The account is audited like any other
K4 billion deposited into MEC chief elections officer account on the eve of May 21 polls

MCP’s Lazarus Chakwera and  UTM’s Saulos Chilima filed the petition in court last month challenging the Presidential results of the May 21 elections.

However, to-date, they have struggled to find evidence to prove their case. They have piled before themselves tons of documents hoping to find the evidence in that haystack.

The leakage of the cheque is one of their propaganda to justify their case. However, this also fails miserably, as Chilima and Chakwera have deliberately put aside facts on the cheque.

 

Fact of the matter

In their propaganda, they have maligned MEC Chief Elections Officer Sammie Alufandika as the recipient of the money.

In directly attacking Alufandika, they hope to justify their allegation that MEC officials were bribed to falsify figures of the elections in favour of President Peter Mutharika.

However, the facts of the matter are that the said account is not a personal account. It does not belong to Alufandika. It belongs to the office of the Chief Elections Officer.

It is an institutional account which has existed even prior to the previous elections in 2014. There are also institutional signatories to the account. It was opened legitimately, and for legitimate purposes.

How the account came about

Due to delays in government financial transactions, MEC was bearing the consequences due to the time-bound nature of some of its activities. Therefore, MEC pleaded with the Government in 2013 to assist the elections body so that it does not suffer delays in clearance of Treasury cheques.

Government then resolved and authorised MEC to open an account in the name of an office, hence the Chief Elections Officer.

Government releases the funds through IFMIS and through Regional Treasury Cashier. MEC then processes the funds to be deposited into that account.

The activities through this account are auditable – just as it happens with all other accounts.

Psychological coercion

Chilima and Chakwera are aware of this legitimate process. However, they have deliberately avoided it knowing that it backfires on their strategy to try their case in the public court.

They filed their petition while they did not have evidence to prove their case. That is why they have kept amending their documents in court. They have also kept asking those who have evidence to bring it forth.

Through their lawyers, they have been demanding information from every stakeholder in the elections.

The leakage of the K4 billion cheque is one of their tactics on psychological coercion of the five judges that are hearing the case.

It is another of their strategies to create an extra-judicial and illegal system where the case is tried through mob justice instead of the court system.

In their bid, they have attacked the judges themselves claiming three of them have been bribed. They have been hustling them whenever they have been going to court such that they now go to court under military escort.

Chakwera and Chilima have also attacked MEC chair Justice Jane Ansah and all MEC Commissioners and staff, UNDP and all other stakeholders.

They have also been mobilizing people to maim and kill other Malawians and steal and destroy private and public property.

However, pressure is now mounting on them. Chakwera, Chilima and their CSO individuals have come under fire from Catholic Bishops and Malawians for organising violent demonstrations related to their election case. They are accused of conspiracy to usurp court duties and undermine constitutional means on dispute settlement.

Transparent Election

Their pursuit is even made worse by the fact that all international observers and local election bodies highly-rated the elections as transparent and credible.

The African Union, European Union Election Observer Mission and SADC hailed the election as well-organized, credible, free and fair.

As part of the transparency initiatives, Malawi Electoral Support Network, NICE Trust and all political parties were allowed to run independent tally centres. Both MESN and NICE independently found that Mutharika had won the election.

  • The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of Nyasa Times

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james
james
4 years ago

The entire top official is the decaying all thieves that is 100% standing with parent reasons to to fight for better leaders not these greedy bastards we sick and tired we are patiently looking forward judgement but we vigilant if the truth is not prevail.

chejumo
chejumo
4 years ago

Kodi nthawi ija unkati mweee ndi masaya ako otupa aja ku COMESA kuteroko kunali kumwemwetera folo bilioni iwe Alufandika. Kenako watuma chitsiru chalemba apachi utachipatsako pang’ono 4 billion ija. Komatu chaka chino ndithu tikukhadzuliranani anthu inu.

phakamani mahlambi
4 years ago

akutuma gogo bwamipini kuti uwakonzele dzina??? nyasalande ali pa moto ndithu!!!!!!!!!

M'Malawi
M'Malawi
4 years ago

Don’t fool us. This account is irregular. Chief Elections Officer (CEO) is neither a natural or legal person and you can’t open an account in this name. FDH Bank owes Malawians an explanation on what documents they used to open this account. CEO is just a position not a natural or legal person. Mfiti zakuba.

Gona pa Muhanya
Gona pa Muhanya
4 years ago

This is complete nonsense, as an organization, you put up a system and when the systems fails you, you bypass it by setting up another system auxiliary to the authorized system. My question is why have the authorized system when workers can bypass it and get away with the same fraud that the original system is trying to control. Alifandika can explain from sunrise to sunset and even the whole night, no right minded person can believe his story. Funny enough a bank quickly comes in to defend an already impaired reputation, by applying blame game that we only inherited… Read more »

Mwiri
4 years ago

Akuluakulu , ine nabour wanga ndi Cadet wa DPP koma guys chipani cha DPP is misery miss using the government resources for sure, just imagine akuti ana adadi wina aliyense amugulira Fortuner after this t-pex elections akuti kuwathokoza agwira ntchito yabwino pobera zitsankho kkkkk

UTM ref
UTM ref
4 years ago

Whatever transaction you cant deny it is an official account…kulimbana nfi za ziii ndiye evidence munkanena a President anga? Za manyazi

Ngaa7
4 years ago

EVERYTHING IS KEPT UNDER CARPET
IN MALAWI — WHY NOT CHECK BANK STATEMENTS FOR THESE MAFIAS ?? WHICH HUMAN RIGHTS IS THAT ??HUMAN RIGHTS FOR MAFIAS –CROOKS AND TIPPEX ??

The white one
The white one
4 years ago

This is such a horribly written article for a “news outlet” assumption, assumption assumptions. There’s nothing wrong with writing with a biased aim, but do it professionally with facts and avoid apinions

Nyasa jè Malawi
4 years ago

Atwel Kabungwe 86 madzila Iwe eti. You think you can tell us your stupid propaganda? Akutuma eti.. olakwa anakubeleka iwe, stupid journalist.

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