Opposition leader Nankhumwa piles pressure on Chakwera over ‘Covidgate’: Suggests forensic audit on K6.2bn

February 11, 2021 Nyasa Times Reporter  42 Comments

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has threatened to resign as member of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 if President Lazarus Chakwera does not order a “forensic audit” to establish whether or not the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) and some government clusters abused K6.2 billion, which was released by government to help in the fight against the pandemic.

Nankhumwa: Says Chakwera should order forensic audit

“This scandal is an unfortunate episode in the nation’s fight against Covid-19 because so much time is now being spent on trying to figure out what happened or who did what,” he has said.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at Parliament Building in Lilongwe, Nankhumwa said by now, collective energies should have been spent on finding more creative and efficient ways of mobilizing resources to fight Covid-19.

“I demand that President Chakwera orders a comprehensive forensic audit of Dodma and all clusters of government and that a report of the findings be submitted to the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament within 14 days for scrutiny and action. I believe that this would be the only and best path that the government can take to establish whether or not these public funds are being used for their intended purpose and deter future abuse of Covid-19 and other public funds,” said Nankhumwa.

He said culprits must be arrested and prosecuted and that there should be no sacred cows in arresting culprits and that no politics should be involved.

“If President Chakwera does not take heed of my proposition, it will be extremely difficult for me, personally, to continue serving in my current role as member of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19.  If what I have suggested does not happen, I will have no choice but to resign as a member of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid -19 in order to save my integrity as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament,” he said.

Nankhumwa said he does not “wholly agree” with President Chakwera’s approach in attempting to get to the root of the scandal. The President ordered that Dodma and all government clusters must submit to our Taskforce their expenditure reports to the taskforce within 48 hours or face the music.

“The Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 was created solely to coordinate issues concerning the Covid-19 pandemic at presidential level and not necessarily to sit down as auditors or to work as jury for suspects. We have laid down legal frameworks within the government machinery to guide our operations.  As an MP whose duty is to make laws, I must be the first one to respect all laws of this country, including the laws that govern how matters related to public finances are handled.

“When President Chakwera gave the nation a breakdown of how the K6.2 billion was used, he based it on the reports that he got from his technocrats and trusted lieutenants. But already, preliminary reports indicate that the situation on the ground is not as the President presented. Some figures on some budget lines may have been falsified or deliberately inflated for reasons that we can only speculate at this point.

“For example, others have pointed out that figures indicated to have gone for meeting allowances; for geographical mapping for isolation centres; and for disinfecting schools, among others, did not reflect best practices and the reality of what should have been done. This may imply that indeed there could have been wrongdoing regarding the management of the K6.2 billion, something which requires a deeper probe by financial management experts,” he noted.

Nankhumwa said the issue of the K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds is financial in nature, and matters related to public finance are best handled by finance experts at a professional level.

“The President should, therefore, have ordered the National Audit Office to audit DoDMA within a prescribed time frame rather than delegating such constitutional powers to an entity that has neither financial jurisdiction nor the competence to audit public funds.

“As Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, I do not want to be associated with deliberate disregard of the law and the utter contempt of the basic working framework of government. This is a serious matter that must be investigated thoroughly by professionals so that we get to the root of what happened,” he said.

Nankhumwa “reminded” President Chakwera that leadership is about understanding the plight of the people and rising to the occasion to show direction and that as leaders, “we cannot take a casual approach when dealing with matters surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, which is escalating and killing scores of Malawians at a dangerous rate”.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Follow us in Twitter

42 replies on “Opposition leader Nankhumwa piles pressure on Chakwera over ‘Covidgate’: Suggests forensic audit on K6.2bn”

  1. The fact that there is a garnishee order on your accounts means there is something fundamentally wrong with how the Nsaje District runs its offices. Why did you let the transfer take place when you knew that your accounts are under a dark cloud. Nankhumwa is right in this instance. Get your house in order and stop showing your ignorance here.

  2. Makadeti musakwiye ayi. Nankhumwa mfuseni kumene andapangira sukulu yake. Honestly munthu wa 39 points ndi mbuli yatheretu. Kungochenjera pakamwa mmutu muli mphutsi zokhazokha. Magots.

  3. I think more. But the issues to do with auditing of financial resources can be done by the National Audit Office and the Central Internal Audit not any other. But you wonder that the DPP want to enter in the issue, ACB want to enter in the issue. This is fraud not corruption, so auditors who studied accountancy are better placed to follow than a lawyer or a teacher at ACB or DPP

  6. When DPP was swindling Covid money where was this man of integrity? Why did you not resign on any position? Or hold any press conference? Those who seek justice and equity must come with clean hands. We don’t need people who claim fake and selective integrity and morals to be holding press conferences, this is cheap politics, let the real men integrity stand up and address this problem.

  7. This guy called Nankhumwa is so weak as a leader, he is not proactive but reactive, I thought we be the first person to blow the whistle but alas!!! He wait for HRDC and Social media gurus to speal the beans.

    I don’t even condone what Chakwera is doing coz is failing us big time. Its wasted vote that
    I gave to Tonse Alliance . Chakwera need to take drastic measures to address this otherwise he should resign.

    Malawians have suffered enough and we thought this time around things will change for the better but alas we lied to ourselves.

  8. So Nankhumwa wants to be a champion?Stop foolish us.Were you not there when Botomani and Jappe Mhango were caught on camera discussing how to steal the Covid-19 money?What action did you take?We are not fools like you.

  9. Iwe Kondwani Nankhumwa, do you really understand when Chakwera says he will get to the root of the scandal? Do you understand the term “Root Cause Analysis” using Ushikawa methods or Five Whys? If you remove the roots, the whole plant dies. Chakwera wants to remove the roots of theft and Kondwani says he does not agree. What do you really want? Umbuli sutithandiza ayi. Ngati mukufuna upulesidenti ndi maganizo awa ingosiyani,

    1. Eheee mulivasilu kkk.Chakwera is just a waste of your vote kkk.He is not fit to be president.He is just an idiot in Tonse.That’s why you see Zeze is just quiet.He is calculating his matrices to ouster Chakwera in 2025.But his calculations are wrong this time around kkkk.Youth especially from the Lhomwe belt played a great deal to ouster Peter and today they are regretting a lot.They thought they were playing it safe.Kupusa kwa Lhomwe akuThekerani ,Molele,Masambanjati kkk.Makwasa kkk.Not Mlomwe waku Mulanje very clever never voted for Tonse kkkk.Koma akwawoo Pitala kkk.Mbuzi zachabechabe kkkk.

  12. Chakwera is playing with people’s lives. He needs to come up with answers immediately. What sort of pastor who engages in stealing public funds. No wonder in developed countries they want those who are independent financially to hold such public posts for fear of helping themselves on taxes taken from poor citizens. Unfortunately, Chakwera has involved all his village in the exercise and by the end of his term, nothing will be left. He needs to be massively censured and disciplined immediately.

  14. Nankhumwa has always proved to be a shallow-minded politician, not a strategic and analytical thinker. The direction the president has taken is the right one. The task force needs a comprehensive report on funding and its usage from DODMA which will inform whether a forensic audit is necessary or not. The report is required for different types of stakeholders not only the presidential task force on Covid but also donors whether there is fraud or not.

    The report from DODMA will also act as the basis for any type of audit, it is as simple as that, honorable Nankhumwa.

  15. Nankhumwa should be the last person to be saying this nonsense. Do you remember the microphone scandal by Botomani and Jappie Mhango on the same Covid-19 money? What did APM do about it? Chakwera has already said he would take action and that heads would roll. DID YOU AND YOUR APM DO ANYTHING ABOUT STOLEN MONEY? DID YOU SAY ANYTHING WHEN ZAMEER AND APM STOLE K145 million? What about the K577 billion audit that you blocked? The government still has hundreds of cadets that you and your dpp employed strategically to be stealing money. There is still Helen Buluma at NOCMA. We still have cadets everywhere. These are still stealing money. The problem is that Silungwe is putting spanners in the government of Chakwera. This is rubble that has to be removed including Silungwe himself.

  16. Chapsa tonola sudziwa mtima wa moto. Indeed the previous government is also to blame for what they did with donors money for this noble task of fighting corona, however it is sad to note that the very same people who were busy with demonstrations are now watching their appointed men and women commit similar crimes.Therefore it the duty of the appointing officers to make sure that people should not be just employed because they come from their area of origin.Easy money will not take us any where.

  17. Phuma bwanji aNankhumwa? Why did you not resign from the corrupt DPP? Now you want to grandstand on this matter like you are clean. Tell all DPP looters to return the money they stole. Now that Chakwera and Chilima know that ndalama zabedwa under the their watch, they need to come clean, apologize to the nation, appoint independent auditors to look into the depth of the rot, prosecute whosever is steealing money and bring this and other corruption-related matters to finality. Is that too hard bwana?

  18. I agree with Nankhumwa in most of his outlined concerns. First and foremost is the creation of the presidential taskforce as an ad hoc committee, a committee set up to look at specific issues and once the issue is resolved or done the committee disbands. As such how can you entrust matters bordering on finances to an ad hoc committee? Is president Chakwera still living by his High-5 core values? Rule of law ( public finance management act) is breaking up. Let matters of finance be dealt with by financial experts as laid down in the PFM act and not otherwise.

  21. WE MADE ONE MISTAKE IN AFRICA. WE CHASED THE COLONIALISTS QUICKLY. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE NOW. WE ARE ACTUALLY FAR WORSE OFF

  23. Why was Nankhumwa addressing a press conference on his own? Does he not have a voice in the Covid 19 committee that he could air these views either in their closed door meeting or in the press briefing they are addressing every day?
    I do not condone what has happened with the 6.2BK, and I think all culprits should be arrested and eventually fired for fraud. But I think Nankhumwa lacks discipline by going to address a lone presser when he belong to a committee. UNLESS if he attempted to raise these issues and was shut down in a cover up.
    P.S.: CHILIMA IS A DISAPPOINTMENT BECAUSE OF HIS VERY CONSPICUOUS SILENCE IN THIS AND OTHER MISMANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION.

  24. Big up. School these covidiots on how government is run and what the office of the president needs to do in this situation. Taskforce should not be reduced to perform audit functions. What a heck of a dicision. Incompetency at it’s best.

  25. hahaha so George Malemia, a member of the presidential task force and leader of opposition was quiet all this while since issue ya 6.2billion kuyambika. Pano watulukira kuyankhula ndia Malawi kkkkkk……..Malemia
    

  26. no need of foresic audit, no need to waste extra cash and time on this covidgate, the president should just do the right and right now, which is ”firing those involved in plundering covid funds” if he is not serious his presidency will go down as worse ever. he should stop talking and take stiff actions.

  27. Nankhumwa is intelligent indeed it doesn’t need a degree but IQ of the brain, o chakwera kakalakala zadala while trying to mislead us

  28. Za zii! Who does this sellout think he is fooling to denounce those whom he dines with? Useless george malema.

  29. Seriously this case needs professional auditors not doctors or MP’s where do they start from. Public resources are audited by NAO who report to the politicians. Does the task force have the powers to satisfy the correctness of the figures and procedures used in the disbursement of the funds allocated.

  30. The president thought he could bring jesus into government, he didn’t know that place is well stocked with demons, they told him plainly kuti kuno ayi. Kwantele vilekeke basi

  31. Don’t pull out of that so-called Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 Nankhumwa. Stay there & improve things while maintaining your membership. The only problem is that some bastards are also part of that Task Force who are there for no apparent reasons.

  32. How times change!!!! Interesting that we need to start taking Nankhumwa seriously. This country needs leadership people that are interested in the next generation not next votes. Myopic short term thinking killing this country. We need to be angry as a nation for better life. We are so.passive as a citizenry.

    1. goody goody pretending to be holy now nankhumwa.Dzana lija? munangocosedwamo milandu yakwanu ija kungoisita ndi ci simbi

    3. Its very unfortunate to give Powers to taskforce while even itself needs to be investigated , that’s why after noticing errors they told them to go back and refine there expenditure’s ,, that’s wrong because what they brought id how they used the money

Comments are closed.