Two who defrauded BWB K128mil escapes Malawi: Parallel account at Nebank had cheques from State House, Police

Two suspects expected to have defrauded Blantyre Water Board (BWB) K128 million –  Brian Makote and Obina Liwonde – have escaped the country after using Mwanza border post to  get out to Mozambique and are reportedly now hiding in South Africa.

Makote, who was working as a debt collector at BWB, and Liwonde a plumber, reportedly opened a parallel bank account in the name of the water board at the Nedbank Malawi Limited, Blantyre Branch.

After a suspicious K150 million was deposited and K128 cashed from the account, opened as a ‘Welfare Fund’,   Fiscal police launched investigations on the matter, according to Blantyre Police Station spokeswoman Elizabeth Divala.

The account has deposits of cheques from State Residences and Malawi Police Services amounting to K150 million. They were written  ‘Pay Blantyre Water Board’ and the suspected would add Social Welfare at the end to read ‘ Blantyre Water Board Social Welfare’.

But about K25 million was moved into FDH bank account of Multi Electricals which Police said it belongs to Liwonde.

However, Police said the two suspects are at large.

The two used Mwanza border boost to get out of the country and are now said to be in South Africa.

Their escape is said to have been assisted by prominent personalities connected to the power-that-be.