HRDC reports Lilongwe City Council, MHC to ACB over suspected land sales

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has written the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), urging the graft-busting agency to investigate suspected underhand dealings at the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) and the Lilongwe City Council.

HRDC believes officials at MHC and the Lilongwe City Assembly solicited or buyers offered bribes to influence the sale of land to personalities with connections to the immediate former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

In a letter titled ‘Report of possible corruption, fraud and other wrongdoing at Lilongwe City on scrutiny fees and Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC)’ dated June 29 2020, the Coalition informs the Office of the Director General of ACB of possible corruption, fraud and other wrongdoing happening where some City Officials are alleged to have been collecting plans scrutiny fees and city rates to the city Assembly.

The coalition reports to graft busting bodies after leaked reports implicate officers Hilary Kamela, Obvious Nyirenda and Chisoni Msumba for malprcatices in city plot sales.

“Secondly, we want ACB to also investigate all plots that Malawi Housing Corporation sold to different clients through DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] influence to be investigated. In view of the foregoing, we ask your good office to investigate those officers responsible for plan approvals and audit all approvals as to whether scrutiny fees have always been remitted to Government,” the letter HRDC has written to the ACB director Reyneck Matemba reads in part.

The letter, which the coalition chairperson Gift Trapence has signed together with his national coordinator Luke Tembo and other executive members, further asks the bureau to investigate the inflow of city and land rates and how MRA tax return was declared for any payment made in form of cheque or cash.

The coalition further asks ACB to investigate all plots purchased through DPP influence.

“The purchaser should explain the source of the funds to develop the plots. If this is not found, this should completely be stopped. We appeal to ACB to commence the investigations as soon as possible and that the anti-corruption body will update the nation when the investigations have started,” pleads the HRDC leadership in the letter.

As  revelations are coming, its pay back time for Amaryllis Hotel to blow the whistle on Malawi Sun Hotels on land acquisition scandal.