Mutharika orders probe into K7.8bn contract for ghost company: State House exonerate First Lady
State House says President Peter Mutharika has ordered a thorough probe into reports that a company named Black and Veach was awarded a lucrative consultancy contract for K7.8 billion but there is no trace for the firm.
The contract was offered by the ministry Natural Resources, Energy and Mining and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA).
Mgeme Kalilani, the presidential press secretary and spokesperson also refuted claims in social media platforms that the ghost company belongs to the First Lady Gertrude Mutharika.
“Regardless of the fact that the said contract did not and does not belong to the First Lady in anyway, His Excellency the President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika wishes that investigating authorities should get to the bottom of the matter regarding the alleged ghost contract,” says Kalilani.
Black & Veach was hired by Kam’mwamba Coal-fired Power Generation Company (KPGC), which sought a ‘No Objection’ from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) to engage the firm.
PPDA—which gave a ‘No Objection’ for the contract in June last year—said the information from the procuring entity, KPGC, showed that the firm was based in the United States of America (USA).
US Embassy in Malawi said it was not aware of or involved in any US company bearing the name Black & Veach in Malawi.
Kalilani says the President therefore appeals to all Malawians to use the social media responsibly and avoid using the otherwise good platform to victimize or character assassinate innocent individuals.
The story first appeared in Weekend Nation newspaper which Kalilani said did it after a thorough research and in keeping with its reputation for fair journalism.
“In its researched story, The Weekend Nation did not mention any person from State House whatsoever as the owner of the alleged company,” says Kalilani.
He says some ill-minded individuals twisted the story so as to implicate the First Lady to satisfy their malicious intentions.
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How can a government pay over 7billion Kwacha tax payers money to a dubious company with no trace. We are joking. Do we have leadership in this country?
Abale inu Mayi wa Fuko ( First Lady) dressed like she is participating in a Carnival. Whoever advises her on formal dressing for public functions is useless.
What does the First Lady spend on her ensemble? Dressing like that before poor starving Malawians is an insult. She needs to come down off her high horse and show some humility and respect.
Whoever dresses up the first lady is a very bad person ….hahaha
Amafuna adziwoneka ngati chidole cha ku Balaka.
Black and Veach (or Veatch) is a bonafide consulting firm in the USA; unless they wound up business.
By the way Black and Beach (or Veatch) is a bonafide consulting firm in USA; unless they wound up business.
Probe your guard commander while you are at it Mr President, he is swimming in Billions. No tax record at MRA.
This high ranking government official by the name of BB should be shivering now
Its all about time Mr Kageme,you can run but you can’t hide because surely one day you be caught
ACB had already told the nation that it is going to investigate and then the president is talking the same thing concerning the investigation, can we say that the ACB got the order to investigate from APM ?