K54bn plunder in Malawi govt: OPC  implicated in ‘grand theft’ scandal

The 2016/17 National audit report has shown a massive plunder of tax-payers money with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) as a major player.

Head of OPC, government chief secretary Lloyd Muhara

According to an analysis of the audit report by Dr Haswell P Bandawe of MAENGA Group,  apart from the Office of the President, the other state agencies that were not audited included Police and tax-collecting body Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).

Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been speaking against plunder of public money by the government machinery and the report had vindicated his stance on how corruption has reached impunity levels in government.

Chilima’s office was audited, gaining credibility in the way he handled state resources.

According to Bandawe, the  transactions in the report  clearly shows cases of theft as a result of  persistent failure to provide documentation in support of payments, payments without contracts, failure to substantiate foreign travel and  undocumented purchases of fuel among others.

“The Ministry of Defense and the Army embezzled K17 182 508 052.50 or 31.9% of the K53 867 646 370.61 embezzled and was followed by Accountant-General’s Office (K14 626 746 399.25) or 27.2 % of the total stolen.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs was third with a share of 16.21 % (K8 732 621 164.37 while ESCOM accounted for 9.47% of the theft or K5 100 000 000.00 and ADMRC’s share of the loot (7.85% or K4 227 784 575.00),” said Bandawe in his analysis of the audit.

“To get an idea of the enormous amount of money embezzled or stolen consider this: The Indian government has provided a loan of US$10 million to Malawi. That is K7.7 billion (at K767.036/US$). And yet the Malawi government embezzled K53.9 billion in a single financial year! This is seven times  the amount of the Indian Loan for which the government sold the country by accepting the Gandhi statue,” narrated Bandawe.

“This is outrageous,” he said.

Bandawe said if Malawians cannot condemn the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration on this gross ransacking of public funds, then nothing else will ever shock  the citizens.

“This huge amount of money could afford the country decent hospital care, educational facilities and a reduction of taxes,” he added.

“If the Army can embezzle K17 billion (twice the Indian loan) how much more did the Office of the President steal from tax payers?” wondered Bandawe.

He observed that there are truly no financial controls as the country seems to be operating on an auto-pilot and is on stealing rampage.

“Given the huge amounts of money not accounted for, it is beyond belief that no one has been fired. But it’s normal that no one would be fired since those at the top of the institutions are tribesmen of Mutharika. That’s what tribalism does: it is a huge conspiracy to raid national resources by a few,” said Bandawe.

He also observed that the opposition are not talking about the rampage and driving a point home.

Leader of Opposition  and MCP President Lazarus Chakwera was part of a government racket that shared an unauthorized K4 billion in Parliament and his response to the massive plunder of resources has been lukewarm since revelations that he was part of the MPs who shared the K4 billion tax payers bounty.

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49 replies on “K54bn plunder in Malawi govt: OPC  implicated in ‘grand theft’ scandal”

  1. Every week and month we hear of public funds being plundered and no one is held accountable. It is as if Malawians don’t exist. Politicians and civil servants are acting with impunity knowing that they will not be caught or charged and that even if they’re unfortunate to be caught out and charged…..that no case is winnable. The only way crooks can be taken out of the system is if citizens start being active. As Malawians we are still sleeping hoping that a messiah will rescue us. There is no messiah in Malawi. They are all here to plunder using public office.

  2. Please UTM and MCP leaders swallow your pride for Malawi sake get united and remove this corrupt government out of power for good, then after that you can resolve the leadership wrangle later, because Malawi is not moving forward we are going backwards we had railway lines, we had air Malawi all is gone it is just history now we are worse than before .People voted for DPP and its leadership we thought he would perform better just like his late brother, but to our disappointment his performance is even much worse than we expected. From the look of things MCP can not stand a lone and win so is UTM, just like DPP and UDF they have joined forces what are MCP and UTM waiting for? Even in the rural areas people are tired of DPP government what amazes me Joyce Banda came and ruled for 2 years but we never experienced prolong black out as it is the case right now electricity problem was over within a short period of time but when this government just took over the black out came back mmmm ????

    1. But very few people want to. He lacks charisma that every leader needs to have, and he is surrounded by thugs like Kunkuyu who talk nonsense at his meetings and spew hate speech in his presence. He also apparently dipped his hands into the kitty at his church. Besides, the American southern accident would be an embarassment to us as a nation!

    2. No leader in Malawi is clean except SKC. Dr Chakwera also shared K4n unauthorized funds among MPs. Lets try the baby (SKC) he can make a good Malawi leader

  3. Ovota M’Malawi ndi anthu mtundu iwiri, illiterate and tribalist. Pakalipano angoyang’ana wakwathu komaso osadziwa chenicheni akufuna athandidzike pa vote yawo. Kaya titani….?????

  4. Heartless, cruel, devilish and anything you can think of that borders on inhumane behaviour. Imagine what this money could do to hospitals, education, teachers/police salaries, you name it.

    Well, it’s up to us Malawians to do something; boot out this evil, corrupt, thieving nepotistic regime come May 2019. Unfortunately, most if the electorate have no access to such damning information.

  5. S.K. Chilima, please take the bull at the horns and tell us names and facts! You should have insider knowledge! If not, you make yourself again suspicious, this time concerning Plundering at Capital Hill! 54 billion is not a joke. If you want a change on 21st Mai you have to come up with a bid more!
    The bitter feeling remains, our leaders, doesn’t matter which party they belong are always on the cover up mode. Look at our history, MCP, UDF, DPP, PP , UTM we don’t know yet, but when it comes to puplic money …. disastrous!

  6. Akulu akulu dziko lino deal ndi Chilima ndiyemwe angalongosole Malawi ibwerere pakale pa mkaka ndi uchi osati anyapapi a DPP & MCP angolubwalubwa nkumagawana ma K4 billion ai.

    1. R u not contradicting yourself Mr Kanyimbi when you say it’s Chilima who can bring this country to the old glorious days and u take out MCP as if it was UTM that was rulling in those glorious days when our civil service was one of the best in this region coz of discipline and proficiency…Be objective bwana.

  7. Malawi dziko lolodzedwa. Mbava zili ku OPC inu mukukangana za anthu oti sali ku OPC. Bwanji osatchulapo dzina la Muhara njonda ya OPC. What you are reading is report by Nyasatimes which is quoting the auditor and we know how politically
    incorrect and bear foot is this reporter. The question is let us unite to remove DPP. If we continue fighting each other DPP will laugh at us after May 21. Go flat out in your villages and tell your people the evils committed by this Government. People in rural areas need to know about these revelations. DPP is bringing relief food to them and has doubled allowances for chiefs here you are siding either Chakwera or Chilima. Wake up Nyasa people! DPP knows very well its votes are in the villages where access to social media doesn’t exist. If you continue this nonsense fight both Chakwera and Chilama and Malawians of good will will lose the elections. For many Malawians they dont mind Chakwera or Chilima as long as long as DPP is out. This should be the national agenda not to put or prevent Chakwara or Chilima from national leadership. When DPP watches your verbal fights they laugh and cerebrate because they know you are wasting time instead of choking their throats. The national cause must be GET DPP OUT. This can be done now, on May 19 it be confirmation. Poeple should decide now that’s what I mean.

  8. i cant believe people would choose to close the eyes and ears and decide to understand everything without reasoning. Foolishly Malawians would happily clap their hands to such stories that have got no balancing facts. how can we conclude there was plunder on departments or accounts that were not audited.

  9. 54 Billion . Someone is sleeping on the job.

    Mukanamanga zipatala, Sukulu.

    ndikumanga anthu za zii, inu muli busy kuba.

    The entire dpp should indeed go to jail. No bail. We need proper prosecutors American style. No house arrest.

    Momwe tavutikira Mmalawi muno house arrest is lenient. Zomba maximum, Mdzaleka thats where these thieves belong to.

  10. How does the reporter connect a simple report to politicians. I mean how is the name of Saulosi come in and why Chakwera is missing in the report. How does this vindicate Chilima who is paid from doing no job? Again, how come the auditor is concerned as if he was conducting the audit to vindicate Chilima? I thought he needed to do the job and leave the rest to us? Th report begs more questions than answers.

    1. How does the reporter connect a simple report to politicians? You’re REALLY asking that question? Billions of Kwacha embezzled and you call it a simple report?The politicians are ultimately responsible. They are the guys who ultimately order expenditure.

      The report begs more questions than answers? Nope. The report answers unasked questions. Had the report not mentioned the Office of the Vice-President, you’d have asked: How did Chilima’s office fare in the audit?

      I don’t need to go on and on about the ..er.. silliness of your observations.

      Kuganiza kobwelera m’mbuyo choncho ndiye inu a MCP mungalongosole chuma m’boma? Let alone run govt?

  11. When analysts have lost it you have such conclusions. When they start campaigning for some masters, they start bringing in other people in to make the article impressive.. Plunder is there but including other people not really involved and have been vocal about it would not earn more for the written simply because those who read these articles are not ALL fools!

  12. This is Chilima’s sponsored documents to portray DPP and Peter are most corrupt and at all cost Malawians must bring in new government while at the same time trying to undermine the role Chakwara did for the past four years to put government on check. Therefore him and his UTM should be entrusted with power. Ng’ooooooo!!!! Wauponda. Malawians are going to change with Chakwera and his MCP.

    1. Ehhhh koma umbuli wa iwenso ali matenda ndiye afika powonera pa mtimatu.
      Audit report from the auditors general yasanduka Chilima document? Ngati zili choncho nsiye Chilima ndi president basi

  13. Nyasatimes or should i say chilima nyasatimes, stop diverting attention here. Ever since the flopped UTM primary elections, you haven’t written anything about it mwatsatane tsatane. And here you are giving us news that’s coming from MAENGA reporting. Who doesn’t know MAENGA’s reputation? You can campaign for UTM but it will never win, over my dead body. Remeber i offered R2,000. to one of the UTM supporters if they win, well guess -what? the offer has been increased to R3,000.

    1. Cadet JJ umazitenga ngati uzavota ka 500,000 wekhatu. Uzamwa chidulo pa 22 May iwe ndithu

    2. Kodi iwe mlhakho JJ Mbewe, amakukakamiza kuti uziwerenya Nyasatimes ndindani. Kayambitse online news company yako uzikalemba zomwe amakutuma nchacha. Ife yathu ndi Nyasatimes. Lozani zanu mapwiyeee

  14. it is not plunder journalist, most of these issues are rectified by the end of the day. please journalist. most of these things comes due to poor filing, poor coordination between auditors and client. there is no plunder my dear.
    And in the army most of the things is about security where procedures may be done latter even forgotten, so keep quite journalist.

    1. No ways, and if we are to go by what you are saying, we are a rotten society… every money has to be accounted for

    2. Eeeish! President Mkango Lion… so you want Malawians to tolerate “poor filing “, “poor coordination “, “procedures forgotten ” blah blah blah? That’s a sign of incompetence! Any govt that can tolerate that sort of bull____ is itself incompetent All the more reason why this govt should be BOOTED OUT.

    3. Chitsiru galu iwe kagwere uko! You’re part of mbava ndipo mubeletu! Do you mean the auditors are incompetent and can’t do their job?

  15. For all this plundering and thieving to stop, we Malawians hold the keys. Let’s give Mutharika the BOOT! Simple as that.

    1. People of Malawi it’s not booting them out alone, they MUST return the money and be jailed, or else any body who gets into Govn. will plunder and expect to be booted out by vote on election period.

  16. As much as we appreciate this report but lets put matters straight, the one who has been speaking of GOVT plunding of money is not Saulo Chilima, Its Dr Lazarus Chakwera, do you the remember the “Prince of Thieves” tag, it was not Chilima it was Chakwera. Chilima is part of this plundering of money after all he is government.

    1. Chilima’s office was also audited but found clean…SO WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. Chakwera never proved to be a strong opposition in parliament….you’re just obsessed with MCP for no reason…salvage. We need a transformed Malawi and a visionary leader and Chilima has proved it…Chakwera’s Hi-5 doesn’t make sense at all

    2. And the reporter didn’t say Chakwera hasn’t been talking about the plunder but he has clearly stated that Chakwera has been lukewarm on the same ever since he was implicated on the same in the 4 billion case.

      You probably need reading glasses coz you seem to miss some phrases in the report Mr MCP die hard.

    3. I absolutely agree with you Gona Pa Muhamya. Chilima is part of the DPP band. He ate with them in the first year and said nothing. He again ate in second year and kept quite, he was again eating with DPP in the third year and he was silent. For these three years when he was quite, Chakwera has been singing about the corruption in government. Chilima never lifted a finger to agree with Chakwera, never lifted a finger to come out in the open and highlight the corruption in the government. Now in the 4th year, he still remains quite until after realising that he will not be given the president’s seat in the DPP, then he resigns from the party, goes away to calculate his next self serving move, then comes back and start saying this government is full of thieves and corruption.. Saulos, have you just realised this in the 4th year of eating with the government? Saulos, where were u in the past 3+ years until u realised they have sidelined you for the presidency? Saulos, where you not hearing what Malawians have been crying about for the past 4yrs when you were quite?

      I listed to Chilima’s interview with Brian Banda and he was asked how UTM is being funded. I was so mortified with his response when he said there are secret well wishers of UTM in the ruling DPP government who are funding him. Come on Saulos! You are accusing DPP of corruption and then you admit that you are being funded by the same corrupt people. Does that make you clean?

      Chilima is an opportunist. That’s why he can’t even have the decency of resigning from the passive role of a deputy president.

      Chilima could indeed win the elections but the real question is whether he is the leader Malawi needs. He might be the leader Malawi wants but is he what Malawi needs? For me the answer is a resounding Noo! He is not the solution Malawi needs.

      “Chenjela posankha Malawi, ufulu wako ukhoza kukhala nyambo, komabe imva, mtendele si nsimatu ayi “

  17. APM and his DPP know they are going to lose the forthcoming elections, so they are plundering the treasury beforehand.

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