Macra boss awards K19 million contract to mother-in-law: Whistle blower hands evidence to ACB

Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA)  Director General Godfrey Itaye is caught up in a multimillion kwacha tenders contract in which he influenced the Internal Procurement Committee to award his own mother in-law’s firms Kai Kalion Agency and  Cartrack Malawi Limited deals worthy 17 million Kwacha, The Anti Corruption Bureau confirmed Friday.

Itaye is alleged to have offered the two separate contracts between April and August 2016, according to documents handed to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) seen by Nyasa Times.

Procurement number MACRA/IPC/2015/03 being Supply and Installation of Fleet Management  and Car Tracking Sytem valued at K13.1 million was rubber-stamped by MACRAs Internal Procurement Committee headed by Procurement Expert Joseph Ngalawa, who is also Itaye’s right hand man in several underhand and dubious procurements, rampant at MACRA.

“The supplier shall perform the services during the period commencing 1st September  2016 to 31 August 2017,”reads the documents.

At the same time, Macra under the directive of the Director General also awarded a contract for the supply of eight medium laser jet colour printers with five external hard drives worthy 4.9 million kwacha to Mercy Nseula of Kai Kalion Agency of P.O Box 583 Blantyre which shares the same address with Cartrtack Malawi Limited operated by Mr Nseula, a husband to Mercy Nseula.

ACB spokeswoman Egritta Ndala said she was not aware of the issue.

But sources within the ACB  told Nyasa Times about the dubious procurement and confirmed having received a complaint from a concerned party regarding the abuse of office and conflict of interest where MACRA Director General Godfrey Itaye awarded contracts to his own parents in-laws.

Itaye, who is currently in Argentina on official duties refused to comment on the allegations, saying the MACRA Internal Procurement Committee acted independnently, arguing that MACRA is on of the first parastatal organisations that has “very high” integrity on procurement issues.

He, however, could neither confirm nor deny that the firms belong to his parents-in-law. Ms Mercy Nseula when contacted for comment said she bid, just like any other bidders and won the tender.

“This is a free country where everyone has the right to do business. A tender was advertised. Kai Kalion particpated and won the contract. Is that a problem?,” Ms Nseula said before cutting the phone.

In a related development the ACB is also investigating allegations that MACRA umder the disguise of buying MCARA Special Cloth for Telecentres, it paid up to K35 Million to Mapeto (DWSM) Limited,. The special cloth however was collected by  Minister of Local Government and Rural development Kondwani Namkhumawa’s truck trading under Abiti Gambatu Transport.

His driver, a Mr Kachingwe, confirmed having colletced DPP branded cloth from Mapeto David Whitehead offices in Blantyre. My job is to drive a truck. I collected rolls of DPP cloth from Mapeto, it was not MACRA cloth,” said |Kachingwe in an interview.

Meanwhile, sources in Macra Finance Department confirmedthat payments for the DPP cloth was made through cheque numbers which Nyasa Times has seen and will provide details.

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