Covid loot cases drag
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Malawi Police Service (MPS) are not coming out clearly on the fate of court cases involving public officers who were arrested for alleged plunder of Covid-19 funds.
In 2021, MPS took members of the public by storm when it went on an arrest spree, starting from February to April, when about 61 suspects from various government ministries, departments and agencies, including a former Cabinet minister were arrested for allegedly looting K6.2 billion funds meant for the Covid-19 response.
Two years down the line, members of the public are yet to be furnished with details as regards the strides that have been made, thus far to prosecute the suspects.
When asked to comment on the matter, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda referred the matter to the DPP, saying his colleague was the most appropriate person to comment.
But in separate responses, both DPP Masauko Chamkakala and National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said hearing of the cases was still ongoing at the courts.
“Prosecution is underway. I will give better details once we resume duties,” said Chamkakala in response to a questionnaire sent via WhatsApp.
On his part, Kalaya maintained that there was progress in the cases. However, he could not explain the stages of prosecution and the number and identities of suspects that are currently on trial.
“Cases are at the stage of hearing. The police don’t control the pace of prosecution and nobody has a monopoly over the justice system.
“You need to understand that cases involve many players,” he said.
Kalaya then declined to take further questions as a precaution against being ‘misquoted’ as the matters are in court.
In February 2021, police arrested 11 officials at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, including former deputy director Fyabupi Mwafongo.
The police then said the suspects would be charged with theft by a public servant.
Later in an update released on April 22 2021, the police revealed the arrest of 15 more government officials suspects to have partaken in the abuse of the funds, a development which brought the total number of suspects to 61.
Read the police statement: “Five arrested officials are from the Blantyre City Council, including director of finance Richard Chakhala. Ten arrested officials are from the Ministry of Information, the accounts department. They include civic education officer Alick Kampeza.”
The Department of Human Resource Management and Development said in August 2021 that it had finalised an assessment report and laid draft charges for disciplinary and criminal proceedings against some senior government officials, including Principal Secretaries, district commissioners and chief executive officers implicated in the Covid-19 response funds audit.
But some of those senior officers who had been interdicted have now been reinstated in their positions.
Key findings of the audit which President Lazarus Chakwera ordered the National Audit Office to undertake on February 14 2021 amid public outcry over alleged mismanagement, among others, indicate that procurement flaws accounted for the highest cost at K493.9 million.
The report led Chakwera to sack then minister of Labour Ken Kandodo for misusing allegedly about $1 000 (about K750 000 at 2021 exchange rate) of the K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds,
Kandodo claimed he refunded the money.
