Police confisticate K7.8m, 5 netted at accountant general

Five people were today afternoon picked from the accountant general’s office for questioning by Malawi police in the capital, Lilongwe, following revelations of gross mismanagement of public funds.

However, the police only identified one woman Martha Banda from whom they confisticated K7.8m (about $19 500) kept at her home in Area 49.

The development comes barely a day after police arrested Principal Accountant to Malawi Government Roosevelt Franklin Ndovi found in possession of K3 million in his vehicle and U$25,400 (about K10 million) cash at his Area 25 residence.

“The police picked five people for questioning as part of the ongoing investigations into what has been going on at the accountant general’s office. I cannot talk much about who the five are, as this is beyond the Ministry of Finance,” said the ministry’s spokesperson, Nations Msowoya.

However, police say they have arrested an accounts assistant in the Accountant General’s office after she was found with K7.8 million in her house.

“The suspect Martha Banda, 25, was arrested at her home in Area 49 after she could not explain how she was found with huge sums of money in her house.

“Her arrest is as a result of investigations that police have been carrying out in relation to gross mismanagement in the accountant general’s office as a department,” National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo said told Nation Online in an interview today.

Manjolo said Banda is likely to appear before court soon to face a charge of money laundering.

Since the shooting of ministry of finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo, police and other security agencies have mounted joint operations to arrest people suspected of looting public finances.

So far, four have been arrested by both police and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Meanwhile, Magistrate Patrick Chirwa today released Maxwel Namata arrested by ACB in connection with their investigations in the public service finance looting.

He was ordered to pay K150,000 (about $375) cash and two sureties at K100,000 (about $250).