Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Lucas Kondowe on Tuesday reported to police a mysterious K2 million deposited into his First Merchant Bank (FMB) personal account, saying he did not know the depositor.
Speaking in a telephone interview from Johannesburg, South Africa, Kondowe disowned the money while police said they are investigating the matter.
According to the bank deposit slip we have seen and is circulating through e-mails, the money was deposited at FMB’s Blantyre Branch on Friday, March 27 2015 by a Mr. A. Majid whose cellphone number is indicated as 0995 326 499. However, the number was perpetually out of reach when called several times yesterday.
Kondowe confirmed the credited bank account was his, but denied knowledge of the depositor.
Said Kondowe: “I do not know the person who deposited the money and we are not investigating any case related to a person called Majid. I suppose these are the people that are not happy with the job that we do [at ACB] and they just want to tarnish my image.”
He said he discovered about the deposit on Tuesday when he went to transact business. He said he then contacted bank officials who told him the source of the deposit was one A. Majid.
Said Kondowe: “My first reaction was that of shock because I did not expect that [deposit] as I do not know the person. I then called the Inspector General [IG] of Police, Mr. Lexten Kachama and told him about the mysterious deposit.”
Kachama yesterday confirmed receiving a call from Kondowe and that investigations have been instituted to find out what happened.
In the meantime, the K2 million is still in Kondowe’s account as, he said, he does not know what to do with it.
Said Kondowe: “The money is still in my account although it is not mine. Let the authorities carry out investigations first and that a decision will be made about what to do with it later. I cannot rule out the possibility of donating to a charity.”
In recent months, ACB has been investigating several cases relating to the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill widely known as Cashgate as well as theft and money laundering of government funds.
British forensic auditors Baker Tilly established that between April and September 2013, about K23 billion was plundered.
However, authorities have been mum on the K92 billion that the National Audit Office (NAO) said was not accounted for between 2009 and 2012.
