State probes CSOs on bribery, blackmail

Law enforcing organisations including the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) are said to be investigating members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for allegation of soliciting bribes and blackmail to businessmen, Nyasa Times understands.

Sources at ACB said they are examining a volume of evidence that includes tapped phone conversation, text messages and secret recordings involving  Human Rights Defenders’ Coalition (HRDC) –Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo, MacDonald Sembereka, Billy Mayaya and Beatrice Mateyo— among others.

The investigations is stemming from how CSOs cancelled its demonstrations which were set  against African Commercial Agency and Reliance Trading Company owned by Abdul Karim Batawarara which is demanding K53 billion from government for an agreement signed in March 2012.

The two suppliers signed a K9 billion contract with the Immigration Department to supply uniforms but failed to honour the deal and are now demanding K53 billion, which is more than five times the agreed amount.

The HRDC had organised demonsrtaion to demand responsible government agencies to investigate Batawarara and the award of the contracts under question for possible corruption and fraud.

But apparently, the activists are said to have solicited bribes and were allegedly  palm oiled  to “shut them up.”

ACB and other law enforcing agencies are said to be investing the matter.

Apparenlty, these are the activists who have previously  accused  President  Peter Mutharika of lack of integrity and a failure to govern the country.

The CSOs have been giving Mutharika several ultimatums, asking him to step down or that he be impeached.

President Mutharika did not spate the CSOs his subtle attacks when he launched the 2019 elections manifesto at Kamuzu Institute for Sports in Lilongwe.

Mutharika, who is presidential candidate for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections, branded the CSOs as “criminal society organisations.”

He said the CSOs have been up against his administration but failed to topple him, saying DPP remains “unshakable, unbreakable, and unstoppable.”