State Capture! Goodall exposed in K567m bogus payment to Pioneer Investment

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe has been embroiled in allegations of abuse of office for directing Accountant General to make bogus payments to suppliers who were never contracted.

Gondwe: I cannot resign and Mutharika cannot fire me

Nyasa Times  has learnt that the Auditor General  Stevenson Kamphasa has been “bulldozed” to authorise a payment to a company owned by Asians, Pioneer Investment that was never contracted.

According to documents in possession of Nyasa Times, the company is claiming interest for goods which were supplied  to government after receiving advance payment.

Initially, the Auditor General rejected  the claim on interest, according to a memo seen by Nyasa Times dated  12 September 2017 reference number Aud/conf/03.

“I refer to my certification on the above supplier dated 22nd August 2017. Recommending for your payment of interest amounting to K567 866 013 00. I wish to advise that the said interest should not be paid because of the new evidence that has come to my attention which I require to carry our further audit,” Kamphasa told Pioneer Investments in the letter.

The Auditor General then suspended  certification of payment of arrears of all procurements to company.

The letter was copied to Accountant General and Chief Secretary of Government Lloyd Muhara.

But Finance Minister  Gondwe has directed to have the payments processed, apparently after getting a sweetener from the suppliers.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have said  the directives by Gondwe to Accountant General for bogus payments and directing Auditor General to reverse his decision puts  to question the Finance Minister’s credibility in being the safeguard of the country’s purse.

The CSOs are demanding “transparency and accountability” in the matter and have since asked Gondwe to resign to pave way for investigations.

“This is another form of Cashgate. Let Gondwe step down or he faces street demonstrations,” said one of the activists.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Timothy Mtambo  has since asked President Peter Mutharika  to stop “shielding culprits who have abused public funds”.

The government purse-keeper has been facing widespread criticism on the way some payments from Treasury are being made and continue plunder of public resources known as Cashgate.

Gondwe has since rejected calls to resign and that he could not be removed, saying Mutharika cannot dare push him out over these payments.

“I am here to stay as Finance Minister up to 2019,” he challenged.

The development comes barely a day after Mutharika warned that he will not tolerate anyone engaging in corruption whether in government or not, pledging  he will support the fight against corruption in its totality.

“I am tired of corruption in this country. If I happen to catch such corrupt individuals, I will deal with them. Every project we are carrying out in this country, some selfish individuals want to get something out of it. That must stop,” Mutharika said on Monday at Police headquarters.

The CSOs are asking the President to walk the talk and deal with Gondwe.

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Vma
Vma
6 years ago

The president should start by asking ACB why only few cases that given to them are moving on.
Many people are delivering evidences but in most of the cases ACB ignoring them, unless if will be in the interest of “some”.
Maybe that is why….

Chozoli
Chozoli
6 years ago

Please be informed that at no time has Hon Gondwe expressed his so called indispensibility from cabinet.

Nthwene Obama & company uto tukutuma banthu to write such baseless articles intended to sway and misguide the president’s attention.

President Manthakanjenjemereza
President Manthakanjenjemereza
6 years ago

Goodall has been a thorn in a flesh to Malawi, everybody who works in the Govt. Knows that this govt is funding ministry and department late or reduced funding or no funding at all saying he is saving. This might a ploy to fund DPP with his tactics and mind him arrogance is not accepted. He should consult Mugabe or Mubarak where arrogant people end up.

LIPHAVA NAMANDWA NGONGOLIWA
LIPHAVA NAMANDWA NGONGOLIWA
6 years ago

We in the DPP are very tired of doing corruption. We have stolen enough to the point that we are very tired of practising and doing it. Even our members we planted across the Civil Service and Parastatals are very tired of practising corruption. The harvest is ready but the corrupt thieves are few.

gogodasi
6 years ago

This is one of the reasons why we are faulting PAC for cancelling the protest. No matter what, the protest would have proceeded because among the issues to be presented in a petition were about governance. What Goodall has done is exactly that. PAC has let us down and its credibility has been compromised. Next time it tries to mobilize people for a good cause, it will find it hard to convince them. PAC should have known that the Government was testing its strength and it is not over yet until it is over. The government can do anything between… Read more »

Mlomwe Original
Mlomwe Original
6 years ago

Ngati pali umboni omveka achoke basi.He must resign or the president should fire this guy

Chaponda Goodall C/O Dausi
Chaponda Goodall C/O Dausi
6 years ago

Haha! A Gondwe akuti I cannot resign… Who would leave mpando wonona on their own?

Achimidzimidzi
Achimidzimidzi
6 years ago

Dare remove Goodall. ….. He is going to expose it all.

These days DPP is more united than b4 because if anyone feels mistreated then he threatens to exposes.

dagobert
dagobert
6 years ago

We need not only a 50+1, we need to get rid of these old Bastards! I think 75 is the maximum to get retired in a high off as Presidency or leading a Ministry! We need dynamic leadership, which can pull us out of misery, and not old dadas , we can meet chartering wheelchairs when they have to pass through a foreign airport or falling next to it , when they plant a tree!

Maunits
Maunits
6 years ago

Prince of thieves true. How can Gondwe challenge like that.

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