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.
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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Aba mokwana azibwelela kwao.
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
A clean person is Chakwera, come 21st May, all citizens who wish a better Malawi for all should vote MCP. Period!!!
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!
Then who? Kunva pain uku!
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
Ovota M’Malawi ndi anthu mtundu iwiri, illiterate and tribalist. Pakalipano angoyang’ana wakwathu komaso osadziwa chenicheni akufuna athandidzike pa vote yawo. Kaya titani….?????
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.
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!
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.
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.
What glorious days, i was there and there was nothing glorious.
Kikkkkk Ana akhanda, Ana a Bakili inu! Mungazidziwe??
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… Read more »
KKKKKKKK Koma mbava izi abale zilibe mantha kwasala 4months