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.
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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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….
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.
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.
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.
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 now and Friday including ad hoc closure of Parliament which willl be hard force the President to reopen it. Bingu did it, why can’t Peter, after all, he is following the footsteps of his brother in his leadership style. The situation is even worse because he is Malawi’s Donald Trump who is always trying out things due to inexperience.
Ngati pali umboni omveka achoke basi.He must resign or the president should fire this guy
Haha! A Gondwe akuti I cannot resign… Who would leave mpando wonona on their own?
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.
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!
Prince of thieves true. How can Gondwe challenge like that.
State capture!!! let us use the correct language for such things not just copying from South Africa, this terminology is even being challenged right where it originated, follow SA news. Just tell people it is corruption and abuse of office finish. In journalism did you get to learn about this language!! zongotengera to impress people!!!
so what are you up to, this is not where you you want to correct some once grammer or something . If you want then go school and be teacher or lecture , chose
These guys know they have messed up this country and are likely to lose the 2019 election. This is why they have deliberately altered the Special Law Commission recommendations and extended the 50+1 cut off point to MPs and Councillors. They hope this will help them get back the MPs they will lose because a re-run will favour them since they will have enough money for campaign while the opposition will be suffering. Take it or leave it although Parliament passed a law to end handouts, this law has been made for the opposition – they will still use handout with the money they are stealing now at night or buy MPs who will leave their parties in the name of defection. I will rule the Gambia for a billion years.
The casgate now being exposed. The days of thier ruling is at hand hence they want to drain every cent in govt so that people suffer more in the next govt. Kamuzuism govt was 120.percent better than these desedents.
Mr president are tired or are you happy? These guys are making money for campaign! 2019 is around the corner. U know what is happening and that is why u are not doing anything. What have u done about the lift money at Kamuzu International Airport ? Passport? The way you shielded your mate, chaponda chimanga
If the Finance Minister is challenging that he cannot be removed, it means the Big Kahuna knows everything pretty well. It could be that Gongwe is being used to siphon money for the 2019 elections’ campaign. Mbava izi!
Tell us more.
Goodall Gondwe ndi mbala ya kalekale.
Dada Gondwe siyeni izi mwakula. Muyamba kuzipuitila milandu okulakula. Let others do this work. You are not the only capable of doing this work. Malawi has enjoyed your services Anthu ena avinopo. Pala wavinapo anyaketso avinepo. This country was not made for you only.
Wayowoya ziwemi
Poyamba paja ndanena kunena kuti si corruption yokha yomwe ndatopa nayo iyayi pali zambiri zomwe mukuziziwa zina simukuziziwa monga anamapopa kuzimazima kwa magesi 25hrs koma so azimayi kumagona kuchigayo 48hrs kudikira magesi kuyaka ndinso ndakalamba
Koma boma la DPP lochitsa manyazi, daily tizingova zakuba? and DPP still wants to rule Malawi beyond 2019, how will things be like in second term of office for mr Ibu pitala M? Shame!!!! Nkhalamba zakuba izi, ndalama akadyera kumanda kapena?
It is not only Goodall , there are many more scandals. Peter Mutharika knows all this only that he shields them.
My appeal is to Civil Society. Please push a bill through a Member of Parliament that metes out hard punishment on private sector. If one looks at it carefully, what we term private sector in our country are mainly traders from India, China, Lebanon, Nigeria and Pakistan. Get them jailed for ten years without trial where there is evidence and close their shops and deport their families to their countries of origin.
We are tired and sick of them dangling money to our POOR and IMMORAL politicians that have no TINGE OF INTEGRITY. Look at Gondwe, after a very colourful life, made his money, worked for the IMF, is a neighbor to USA Ambassador in Area 10 after grabbing late Dr Dunstan Wai’s Plot-what else does he need in politics at 82 years old.