Lawyer Ghambi fingered in Karonga District council K4mil ‘loot’: Chief Kyungu wary over abuse of resources

Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga the northern border part of Malawi on Friday expressed worry with the increased rampant abuse of resources at the district council.

The development follows the alleged report that some council officials nearly looted K4 million in which lawyer Christon Ghambi of CHRAM Associates is being accused of playing a role in defrauding the council and the arrest of the District Commissioner’s secretary after the forged cheque early this year.

MacLean Sikumbawa, who is one of the Karonga district business tycoon, hired Ghambi to get court injunction restricting the Karonga taxi operators and the council from using his private place as a packing area in June last year.

After the council and taxi operators complied, the case was closed and the deal between Ghambi and Sikumbawa ended.

Surprisingly, Ghambi dragged Karonga district to the Mzuzu high court demanding the council to pay K7 million as compassion for making businesses at Sikumbawa’s premise without knowledge of his client.

However, the amount was reduced up to K4, 047, 750. 00 after the council pleaded in November, 2016.

On Friday 6, 2017, the sheriff from the Mzuzu high court impounded two vehicles of the Karonga district council for failing to pay K4, 047, 750.00 to Sikumbawa through his lawyer Ghambi.

After some hours, the council paid the cheque of K4, 047, 750.00 number 006554 on Friday and get back their vehicles.

Sikumbawa hired another lawyer Victor Gondwe of John Tennyson and Associates to block the said cheque at the Mzuzu high court.

“I did not ask for any compensation from the council.  I don’t need its money. Ghambi did this on his own,” said Sikumbawa in an interview.

Ghambi said there is no fraud in the matter, saying it has been settled by parties in due process of the law.

Speaking during the meeting at his resident after approached by the district business tycoon Leonard Kiyombo on the matter, Kyungu appealed to his subjects to stand up and protests against fraud of district council finances.

“I am your leader but on my own I cannot deal with this issue. We need to hold our hands together for better Karonga,” said Kyungu.

He then appealed for unity among the residents in order to develop the district.

Kiyombo said the business community is not happy with the looting of K4 million from the council through the sheriff action.

“I will not just leave this case until I know the truth of the matter because the stolen money is our tax,” vowed Kiyombo.

Karonga Youths Justice and Development (KYJD) executive director Steven Simsokwe said his organization has put in place strong measures to deal with corruption at the district council.

Last year, about seven officers at the council were arrested by the police after swindling millions of kwacha of council fund.

The Ministry of Local Government also suspended the director of public works and district lands officer over allegations of fraudulent abuse of Masaf IV funds.

District councils are audited once in every two years which the committee has said is not regular enough to ensure accountability and reduce incidents of fraud and corruption.