Minister Nankhumwa says 1 vehicle missing at Nkhotakota district council

Minister of Local Government Kondwani Nankhumwa has said only one vehicle cannot be accounted for at Nkhotakota district council, dispelling reports that 13 government cars have gone missing.

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Nankhumwa told parliament on Tuesday that the government has intensified its search for the missing vehicle.

“The other seven vehicles are in a garage in Mzuzu and one is in a garage in Lilongwe for maintenance. The council could not get the vehicles on time because there were delays to get clearance from the ODPP (Office of the Director of Public Procurement),” he said.

Nankhumwa said the other four vehicles are at the council.

The minister was answering a question from Nkhotakota south east MP Evance Makowa Mwale.

Members of parliament, traditional leaders and councilors have been demanding transparency and accountability on the missing vehicles, most of which belong to Nkhotakota district office and hospital.

The political, civic and traditional leaders suspected the vehicles were dubiously sold by hospital and council officials.

But Nankhumwa said auditors are in their way to Nkhotakota to find out how the council has been using district development fund for the past four years.

He said money has been disappearing in council coffers in dubious ways and suspected there was rampant theft of public money

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