‘Pay back the money,’ face law: K6.2bn Covid-19 funds plunder well calculated move

A powerful parliamentary committee has been informed how ministries literally fought for K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds soon after the money was released by the Reserve Bank of Malawi and according to the reading of an audit report, it  becomes apparent the plunder of Covid-19 funds was a well calculated move.

Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) officials told the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) of parliament that the moment funds amounting to K6.2 billion  were received from Reserve Bank of Malawi, the Ministry of Gender recommended that it be transferred to them since it was meant for social cash transfer.

The Ministry of Local Government similarly requested that the K6.2 billion should be transferred to them.

Dodma’s Director of Response and Recovery, Moses Chimphepo, has stressed that the developments pushed them to seek advice from the Treasury on who was in charge of the money, where treasury recommended that it must be transferred to treasury.

According to Dodma councils were justified to use more money for allowances than the purchase of PPEs, arguing that at the time, more trainings and community mobilization activities were to be conducted.

It has been explained in the meeting that PPEs were mostly bought by donors and well wishers.

Dodma also approved activities that attracted the payment of allowances during the time Malawi was receiving returnees from South Africa.

A report that has been presented in the meeting, also shows that councils used K641 million  from the K6.2 billion.