Kunkuyu fears cashgate probe: Denies owning car hire company
Minister of Tourism Moses Kunkuyu has distanced himself from claims that he owns a car hire company which is suspected to be connected to the cash gate scandal.
The Minister has been linked to Pika Car Hire in Lilongwe which is reportedly to have closed down its operations in the meantime amidst investigations into the Capital Hill looting of public resources.
But Kunkuyu has downplayed the rumours, saying: “I wish I had a fleet of 32 cars. May be this is a prophecy that one
day I will acquire that much. So if it’s a prophecy I can accept that.”
Kunkuyu denied ownership of Pika Car Hire.
He added: “Why should someone who legally establishes a company close it down for fear of investigations?”
One of Kunkuyu’s drivers told the local press that the minister has a fleet of 32 vehicles under a car hire company called Pika and closed it down for fear of being investigated in connection to the cash gate.
The driver said Kunkuyu had sent all the drivers on leave.
Malawi’s donors under the Common Approach to Budgetary Support (Cabs) have suspended their aid for the first quarter of the 2013/14 financial year following disappointment over the looting of billions of public funds by government, ruling party officials and some businesspeople.
Cabs comprises the United Kingdom (UK), Norway, Germany, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU) and the World Bank with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) participating as private observers.