Massive fraud at MBC: Financial Controller resigns in protest
Massive corruption involving top management at the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has forced its Financial Controller, Andy Kamwala, to relinquish his position in protest, Nyasa Times can reveal.
The scam primarily centers on the Director of Finance (DOF), Felistus Chikusilo, Controller of Administration, Ronald Mateyu and former Director of Programs, Chimwemwe Banda.
According to our impeccable sources at the public broadcaster, Kamwala has been forced to resign from his position after crossing paths with his boss Chikusilo following the massive fraud and financial mismanagement that has been taking place at the corporation.
The news is that Chikusilo had directed Kamwala, a charted accountant, to have the organization’s management accounts doctored for presentation to its external auditors which he firmly opposed.
The doctoring of the accounts, according to our source, was to conceal millions of unspecified Kwachas which have been swindled by three people.
The source said the Financial Controller refused to re-work and endorse the doctored accounts statements prompting Chikusilo to stop working with him and instead used his juniors to doctor them. In protest against malpractice, Kamwala has just decided to resign from his post.
‘‘The accounts statements had narrations on unauthorized expenditures called ex-gratia which was being used to pay the Director of Finance, former Director of Programs and the Controller of Administration as payments for apparently working on the TVM/MBC merger project. Chikusilo ordered those narrations, among others, to be removed from the accounts,’’ he explained.
The informant, who works in the accounts department at MBC, further revealed that the three officers were the only staff members being paid using the so called ex-gratia facility.
‘‘What was happening was that the Controller of Administration would write the requisition for payment, the Director of Programs would approve them and the Director of Finance would pay. The very same three people involved in the process of payment were the only recipients of the money,” added the source.
When contacted for his comment, Kamwala confirmed resigning from his MBC but was non-committal to confirm the circumstances saying he has found another job.
“Yes, I have resigned but as regards the fraud allegations I have no comment, right now I am busy working on handover notes,” Kamwala said.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate that MBC’s Director General Dr Benson Tembo has ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kamwala’s resignation.
The corruption news has been making headlines in the corridors of the public broadcaster- which has for many years pretended to be operating very tight budget- with many members calling for the Ant-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to immediately jump in.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
