K5.2bn ‘cashgate’ uncovered at Carlsberg Malawi: Financial controller suspended
Forensic auditors have uncovered a huge ‘cashgate’ amounting to more than K5.2 billion at Malawi’s giant brewery, Carlsberg Brewery Malawi Limited.
The scandal has led to the suspension of Carlsberg Malawi Financial Controller Geobra Kamanga, his deputy Austin Phiri and Ezzra Njobvu (Procurement Manager) who are suspected to have colluded to defraud the company.
According to Nyasa Times sources, the forensic experts who include one from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) uncovered the fraud mainly through purchase of raw materials like sugar and compromised procurement of raw materials and services.
“It was a network of people and this has been happening for a long time and that is why the figure is huge,” said our source that is privy to the investigation.
He added, “This could be one of the most complicated white collar crimes in Malawi so far and it was only because of these foreign investigators that the fraud was unearthed.”
A Carlsberg Malawi official who did not want to be named said some big gurus at the company became suspicious of Kamanga when he ‘mysteriously’ missed his flight to Hong Kong two weeks ago where he was going for a Board meeting together with some bosses.
“It was suspicious that he could miss his flight while he was in the VIP lounge. He had to make other arrangements but arrived in Hong Kong when everybody else including his bosses had already arrived,” said Nyasa Times source.
The source said it did not take long before the scam was discovered and Kamanga together with a few others including the procurement manager have been placed on ‘administrative leave’ until the forensic audit is concluded.
It is also being alleged that some of the suspicious transactions involve trucks and businesses of the Fachis, a well known family in Malawi that has accumulated unexplained worth in recent years.
Insiders said there was a ‘massive change’ in lifestyle of Kamanga and others as they started buying state of the art expensive cars and other things which lead to the company to hire forensic experts including one from the FBI.
But what led to the whole saga being unearthed was the arrival of auditors from Denmark.
“The auditors were suspicious when they audited the procurement and controller’s office. They found out that the cost of sales were higher in billions than what is has always been,” said the source.
“As of now the two departments are going through investigations and we are looking forward to what will transpire because the company has also called some auditors from South Africa to join the investigations,” he said.
“A directive has been made by the bosses that the investigations be finalized by the end of this month.”
Carlsberg Malawi management could not comment on the matter.
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Why Regionalism???
This Kamanga guy is not Tumbuka, he is a Tonga from Nkhatabay, you people with full of hartled, get your facts straight before advertising your ignorance to the whole world.
Guys if u don’t know its best u shut up …this is not a castigate issue this is about stupid corporate politics at press … they couldn’t put up with a young man that told them to hell with you…why is it that press would rather have expats for cfo at Carlsberg CEO at their other companies when there are capable Malawians around …they want bootlickers … why did they always take Geobra for board meetings? Because the so called cfos don’t have a clue what’s going on there … why does press insist on expats for positions Malawians can… Read more »
Our own El Chapo Geobra Kamanga. Zandipweteka to be raising the price of beer – I expected the price of Carlsberg beer price to be going down as generally material prices have been going down. Wandibera zanga – we saw imported beers being cheaper – Malawians please!
Smoke them out.
ZZ Junior if u r to compete with northerners in school,Stop your nyau dancing ndi zikamwini waiting for asibweni to pay fees for your brood of your malnutrious children.Love or Hate them,Tumbukas value education alot.Kamanga is an individual and do not represent the whole north.Bingu was a thief and he never represented all the Lomwes.Every tribe has honest and dishonest people.So don’t tar all Tumbukas with the same brush.That useless hate for Tumbukas will not take you any where.Why did your other Chewa fellows succeed in education than you?They embraced the spirit of hardworking than dancing nyau dabbed in matope… Read more »
It’s about time that cashgate investigations focused on privately owned companies. The corporate sector is chock-full of white collar rogues and vagabonds, casually slithering their way up the mythical corporate ladder , if one actually exists – in Malawi it’s more like a corporate merry-go-round with the same people circulating in different companies but remaining in exactly the same spot, if not worse! These educated thieves cheat their colleagues out of decent livelihoods whilst stuffing their faces with every luxury under the sun! They have no shame, they have no conscious. Go ahead Carlsberg, and call in auditors from Denmark,… Read more »
Choka iwe abwino excelling academically ya atumbuka has nothing to do ndi anthu akuba.Atumbuka has even been excelling together writing exams with chewas having the same invilgilator.They have excelled in schools even when they are writing exams in central and southern region.Pitala,Mphwiyo,Treza Senzani and the Kalongas and other cashgate thieves are they Tumbukas?Basi chilipo apa ndi choti Malawi inawola.It has very few honest people.Everybody is looking for quick riches.Za school tazisiyeni apo.Simuwakwanitsa.Even quota inakanika.
Am a free man with billions of kwachas, no trace of transactions in the system in carlsberg system. We are done with the server. Thumbs up to you IT guy for the well executed job.
Malawians. Why are we making fools of ourselves? Dont we know that stealing knows no race tribe religion or ethnic grouping of any kind. Why insult each other . The man that is involved in this matter is a Malawian full stop. It is Malawi again making news for wrong reasons. Malawis name out there is in the mud. Anyone talking race or tribe is really arguing with and condemning God for making all of us the way we are . So are we wiser than God or did anyone have a choice to pick race tribe region or country… Read more »