Ombudzman Chizuma next stop  for ‘institutional anarchy’ probe: Central Medical Stores, Lilongwe Handling Company

Ombudsman Martha Chizuma says Central Medical Stores Trust and Lilongwe Handling Company are next on her menu as she continues to stem deep rooted maladministration in the government system.

Chizuma said her office will release the two public offices investigation findings next week.

This comes as the office on Friday released a report on the unprocedural recruitment of  top executives at the Malawi Regulatory Authority (Mera), including the appointment of former chief executive officer (CEO) Collins Magalasi that was titled ‘Institutional Anarchy.’

Chizuma has since asked the Mera Board to look into the recruitment mess which continues at at the regulatory body after her office  investigated 12 employment related cases and discovered that some directors and managers were recruited without having the prescribed qualifications.

The report said those who were recruited irregularly are electricity and renewable energy director the late Maxwell Mkumba, planning and monitoring manager Godfrey Chilenga, senior information communications and technology officer Billy Kayira, legal manager Cynthia Chawani and internal audit manager Alex Ganiza.

Meanwhile, Chizuma reported that she did not rule on a complaint about the recruitment of the human resource manager Troy Mtenje as it was being handled by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The Ombudsman said she cleared acting CEO Ishmael Chioko on the allegations that he was irregularly promoted and that he did not have qualifications to be legal services director.

But  Ombudsman ruled that there was an abuse of benefits by the CEO’s personal assistant Priscilla Mkandawire, who she discovered uses a “company motor vehicle and fuel benefits contrary to Mera’s Terms and Conditions of Service.” She described it as abuse of public resources.

And on her part, Phyllis Manguluti, MERA’s Board Member who represented MERA’s Board Chair said the Board will do the needful to address the concerns raised in the report and “give feedback accordingly.”