Pressure mounts on K720m Covid-19 funds
Pressure is mounting on government to explain how it dealt with suspected culprits in the abuse of K720 million, as part of the K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds.
Accountability activists further demand the Tonse Alliance government led by President Lazarus Chakwera to make public the K17.7 billion Covid-19 funds report as a way of ensuring transparency.
The sentiments follow concerns from the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUBC), which has decried continued corruption, theft and mismanagement of funds as governments, including Malawi respond to Covid-19.
In an interview last week, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira said delays to act on the Covid-19 K6.2 billion funds raise a lot of questions.
He said: “It raises speculation that the government is protecting some names, and sadly this does not give confidence in the fight against corruption. It is a huge disappointment.
“People must demand action on all audit reports, including the K17.7 billion. Parliament too, as an oversight institution, is letting Malawians down on the matter. The Public Accounts Committee [of Parliament] has to follow up and act on the recommendations of the audit reports.”
Kambwandira said acting and taking action on Covid-19 funds will prove that the Tonse government is ready to clear the rubble, that it is transparent and accountable to Malawians.
On his part, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) executive director said Gift Trapence Covid-19 funds abuse cases are long overdue.
He said: “There is no progress made, including on the release of the K17.7 billion audit report. Government needs to walk the talk on issues of accountability.
“This should be demonstrated by the government actions in speeding up prosecution of those who are suspected to have abused public resources.”
Trapence said HRDC is, therefore, calling upon the Attorney General’s (AG) office to speed up the process of scrutinising the audit report into the K6.2 billion abuse of Covid-19 funds.
But in a separate interview, Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako, who in January said AG Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda would advise government on what action to take, said all plunderers will soon be made public.
He said: “Our progress in the fight against corruption is very phenomenal. No government has fought corruption the way we are fighting. Trust us, the noose is tightening.
“The Covid-19 money plunderers will soon all be made public. There is a lot of work in the background. All suspects will face the law.”
Both Nyirenda and presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda were yet to respond to our questionnaire by press time yesterday around 9pm.
Expenditure reports on the K6.2 billion Covid-19 response funds indicated that the bulk of the resources were spent on allowances and logistics compared to essential services such as supplies to hospitals.
The reports further showed duplication of activities and by extension costs among the 15 Covid-19 clusters under the Department of Disaster Management Affairs and police arrested at least 60 suspects.
In August 2021, the Department of Human Resource Management and Development finalised an assessment report and laid draft charges for disciplinary and criminal proceedings against some senior government officials.
