Malawi army commander implicated in abuse of soldiers peacekeeping pay

Malawi Defence Force (MDF) newly appointed Commander Griffin Supuni Phiri  is being accused by a section of soldiers at Kamuzu Barracks that he was involved in the abuse of monies due them when he served at the UN.soldiers pay memo

General Supuni Phiri
General Supuni Phiri

Supuni-Phiri, who for a long time served as Malawi’s military attache at the Malawi Mission at the United Nations and as aide de camp to then president Bakili Muluzi, was appointed General of MDF last Saturday after President Peter Mutharika fired General Ignacious Maulana.

But some soldiers at the Malawi barracks are circulating a dossier of financial abuses at the military which include a memo from Kamuzu Barracks that indicated Supuni Phiri had to use troops money to purchase a motor vehicle worth US$30,000,00 when he was at UN  2012.

According to the circulating memo among soldiers,  refrenced CQ/202, Colonel Kapalamula  responding to Supuni Phiri’s letter  DIP ¾ dated 17 October , 2012 , wrote that the then Defence Force Commander Henry Odillo approved Supuni’s “request” to procure a vehicle from the United Nations Reimbesement Fund.

The soldiers are claiming at Supuni Phiri had abused their peacekeeping mission money claiming to share “further evidence” of abuse  to the media.

Government had deducted  allowanced to soldiers who have been participating in peacekeeping missions in war-torn countries under the UN umbrella about K3.3 billion.

MDF gets the tranche from the United Nations’ Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to pay the soldiers.

The peace keeping allowance is a major source of revenue to cushion soldiers.

MDF communication seen by Nyasa Times confirms that the New York-based DPKO had been remitting insufficient funds for troop allowances.

Instead of the $1 332 as authorised by the UN, MDF released to each of the concerned soldiers $574 (about K297 332 at the current exchange rate) in September and October 2014.

MDF, according to the internal communication, adjusted the amount to $1 099 per soldier per month for the months of November, December 2014 and January 2015.

The concerned soldiers petitioned government, questioning why their allowances were being deducted without any explanation.

The soldiers also complained of delayed payments of the allowances.

Treasury Spokesman Nations Msowoya said deployment of the MDF soldiers to participate in peacekeeping missions and payment of their dues is entirely an MDF matter, saying therefore, “Treasury cannot competently comment on it.”

MDF spokesperson Colonel Paul Chiphwanya  said the information related to the issues was confidential.

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Patrick banda
7 years ago

Tatopa kumva maboza cha supuni is a good General. To those who have chance listening to speeches delivered by this General will not continue waffling. Supuni mawalankhula za nzeru. Fired General Maulana his speech as if a standard eight guy. the whole speech dominates with ‘I think as you may with to say I can say much but I have to say one or two words’ I think we need changing our mind set I think our friends countries like India bangaĺadesh Pakistan likewise small thinking country like Rwanda cut their soldiers allowances in peacekeeping mission. I think in this… Read more »

octopus
octopus
7 years ago
Reply to  Patrick banda

Everyone knows that the united nations cut the mission short because of the damaged equipment which general odillo should’ve repaired,the united nations doesn’t reimburse equipment if it’s damaged and the money used to to repair those equipment is supposed to come from the same money that the UN pays you and not for the army budget or government coffers, talk about behaviour,sipuni amupeza ndi anthu angati in his car with several women,and had to be rescued by a commissioner of the police,this guy did use money while he was in UN purchase a vehicle A PERSONAL ONE

Tactics
Tactics
7 years ago

Koma nokha mukuchita kunena kuti asilikali analandila ndalama zochepa between September and October 2014 and that was when Maulana was commander but the letter is dated 2012 when Odillio was Commander that despite Odillo using the UN money to buy the said vehicle but the soildiers in 2012 received all their money from UN without any deductions . Pamenepo muzifunse nokha ndipo angakuyankheni ndi Maulana kuti ndalama zimene anakudulani zinapita from 2014 to 2016 zinapita kuti??????? nothing new to implove the life of soldiers zonse amagwilitsa ntchito za Odillo and the worst mission without the necessary equipment to go to… Read more »

IFFF
IFFF
7 years ago

ayayaya Spoon ali bho kwabasi.Ndiye mwati ali ndi ndalamanso.Will you marry me Spoon?

Mwananyanian
Mwananyanian
7 years ago

I am now getting disillusioned with NT: they shelve any neutral piece regarding the Army. And yet print accusatory allegations, like this: allegations which stretch the truth as to implicate the new General as a thief and a cheat, and plain greedy. Please give Supuni some room to breathe. NT seem to thrive on innuendo as long as that is anti-Mutharikas, personally as welly as politically. The other day, I penned a piece congratulating the Intelligence group that exposed the current coup d’etat as well as the one apparently implicating Kabwila-Kapasula et al. But my point was that we Malawians… Read more »

grace
grace
7 years ago

but WHY?

Mature reporter
Mature reporter
7 years ago

This is a non issue inu a nyasatimes.Procedures were followed and the vehicle bought was for the office.The money used was not deducted from any soldiers allowance but the one UN pays to the government for the use of its equipment.Dont start mad smearing this new Commander, let him fail on his own.Deduction of soldiers allowances was conceptualised during Gen Maulanas command.Nyasatimes must know that you are causing unnecessary tension in the country by reporting on sensitive but un verified reports..Pse be mature.and move with time for people to take you serious.

gulugunya
gulugunya
7 years ago

Malawians are jealousy people. 2012 up to date, why complaining today. All the best Gen. Supuni Phiri.

Gunman
Gunman
7 years ago

Zikuphulikano long time

Gonani
Gonani
7 years ago

welcome General Spoon Phiri. we are waiting for the audit report period you were at Embassy

Dali Kabula
Dali Kabula
7 years ago

Shame NT that your informants have resorted to putting such issues in the papers!What will you achieve as there are over a billion memos from Govt and what would a public officer and indeed those that gave the memo to NT achieve. You hate the new general full stop and let it stick into your tribalistic heads! He is the General and you can weep!

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