Fired MRA ‘recruits’ demand K20bn
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) faces a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate 71 people it ‘recruited’ and later cancelled their contracts or pay them K20 billion in compensation, a demand letter from the claimants’ lawyers shows.
In the demand letter through lawyer Christon Ghambi, the 71 want to be paid K270 million each for unlawful termination of contracts and a further K13 million each for defamation.
Reads the letter in part: “It is our clients’ position that they have never been charged with or convicted of any corrupt practices offences or associated in any malpractices with regard to the process of their employment. Besides, no legal authority has ever summoned them for investigations or to answer charges of corruption.
“Therefore, we find the conduct of withdrawal of employment to be devoid of rules of natural justice, employment laws and a gross violation of rights to legitimate expectations which is duly enshrined in our Constitution of Republic of Malawi. Our clients are well qualified
for the posts as assessed the board of MRA.”
They also argue that they have been defamed as people of corrupt minds and no prospective employer would be willing to employ them.
The claim follows an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) freeze of the recruitment process in April this year over allegations that some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters were appointed to various positions without formal interviews.
In August, the ACB for the posts as assessed the board of MRA.”
They also argue that they have been defamed as people of corrupt minds and no prospective employer would be willing to employ them.
The claim follows an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) freeze of the recruitment process in April this year over allegations that some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters were appointed to various positions without formal interviews.
In August, the ACB ordered MRA to replace 127 newly recruited revenue and custom officers after investigations uncovered swapping of successful candidates with those that did not qualify.
When contacted yesterday, ACB director general Reyneck Matemba said they were yet to formally receive the communication and will respond once it reaches ACB.
On his part, MRA director of corporate affairs Steve Kapoloma acknowledged receiving the letter, saying: “We acknowledge receipt of the letter. Everyone has the right to be heard and our lawyers are looking into it.”
During a media briefing in August in Lilongwe, Matemba said the bureau conducted a four-month investigation into the recruitment process at MRA, following complaints of an unfair recruitment process.
He said MRA interviewed 487 candidates and selected 125, whose names were then sent to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) for vetting.
But while NIS was still vetting the list, MRA went ahead to offer jobs to the 125, swapping 71 candidates with others who had attended the interviews but failed to make the grade. Matemba said NIS was not supposed to vet the names.
