4 arrested for alleged extortion in AIP
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested four people for allegedly demanding money from beneficiaries of Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) in Nkhotakota to access the inputs.
Those arrested include three Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) sales clerks and a security guard. The arrest followed buyers complaints over their conduct which moved the ACB to conduct an investigation that led to the arrest of the four at SFFRFM Benga Depot in Nkhotakota.
ACB principal public relations officer Egrita Ndala said in a statement the suspects are currently in police custody pending a court appearance to answer corruption charges.
In an interview later, she said: “They are accused of extortion, but in the press statement we have indicated that they are accused of demanding extra money from the beneficiaries of the Affordable Inputs Programme for the people to understand.”
SFFRFM chief executive officer Richard Chikunkhuzeni hailed the ACB for their effort in conducting an investigation after receiving the complaint about the misconduct at the depot.
He said SFFRFM has put everything in order to ensure that the arrest of the sales clerks does not affect the AIP process at the depot.
The suspects have been identified as SFFRFM employees Gift Mkanda, Maria Chilinda and Lovemore Kandu alongside security guard Wilson Masanjala. They were picked on Monday.
