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Karonga Council reinstates13 interdicted employees

 Karonga District Council has reinstated 13 employees it interdicted in 2021 over alleged misappropriation of council funds.

The 13 allegedly collected K18 million from business licences and market fees and are also accused of falsifying documents.

The council announced the move on Tuesday during a Full Council Meeting through a report that Human Resources Service Committee chairperson Wilson Mzumara presented.

Gowa Nyasulu: The council has set a bad precedent. | Jordan Simeon-Phiri

However, the news has sparked debate among stakeholders who are accusing the council of playing double standards and favouring the employees.

Expressing his reservations immediately after the announcement, Karonga District business representative Golden Gowa Nyasulu took the house back to 2023 when three ward councillors lost their seats after the court found them guilty of embezzling K2.4 million public funds collected from 80 market vendors in exchange for land in 2019.

He said the three councillors were prosecuted and eventually lost their seats despite refunding the said money to the council.

Said Gowa Nyasulu: “The council risks setting a bad precedent if the 13 employees

 are reinstated [after committing] a similar offence for which three councillors were arrested.

“What will we tell the public out there whose money was swindled?”

However, Karonga district commissioner Frank Mkandawire justified the process, saying technically, the council delayed to report the matter to law enforcement agencies for action.

He said: “Administratively, there were errors right from the beginning on how this case was handled. First, there was a delay to report the matter for necessary arrests and prosecution and second, the case has dragged due to changes of administration.

“These challenges have led to the decision that the concerned officers should refund the money and be reinstated.”

According to the document, the 13 officers have repaid over K6 million, representing 66.7 percent recovery rate of the embezzled money

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