Sulom seeks AG’s attention on gate collections
The Super League of Malawi (Sulom) has reported to the Auditor General’s office a case in which contradicting total sums emerged from proceeds of a league game between Azam Tigers and Big Bullets at Kamuzu Stadium on June 22 2014.
About K1.8 million (US$4 379.6) was declared for the match, but according to Sulom treasurer Tiya Somba-Banda, a firm that managed the gates, Joka Investments, received K166 000 (US$404) as its agreed seven percent cut.
The K166 000 reflected K2.3 million (US$5 596), not K1.8 million which was declared and verified by representatives of FAM, Sulom and the two teams. For this reason, Somba-Banda felt there were some accounting questions necessitating the AG’s attention.
The AG’s corporate communications officer Thomas Chafunya said he needed to verify with their Blantyre office if Sulom reported the matter which Tigers secretary Steve Madeira also brought to the attention of Southern Region Police headquarters on the same day, but withdrew the same on June 23 2014.
“I did not tell the police that money was stolen, but that we needed to count the money properly as the K166 000 which was meant for the firm reflected K2.3 million and not K1.8 million. Being a football matter, I decided to leave the matter like that. I did not accuse anyone of stealing,” said Madeira.
Tigers chairperson Sydney Chikoti and technical director Robin Alufandika agreed with Madeira’s observation that the documents they have in their possession reflect different figures. Each team eventually got slightly over K200 000.
Joka director Francis Kafumbwe yesterday said Madeira rushed to police before verifying the figures, noting that the discrepancies in the final figures were as a result of packaging the notes in uniformed manner instead of the agreed 20 per denomination.
“When we count, it is unofficial and this is verified and sometimes it can be over and sometimes less. All teams verified and it came to K1.8 million. This usually happens that instead of packaging 20 notes of K5, some put only 10 and when counting people assume the bunch has 20 notes and arrive at a wrong sum,” Kafumbwe explained.
Stadium manager Charles Mhango yesterday said the K166 000 which was given as a cut for Joka was based on a total from an unverified figure straight from the gates, which later came down to K1.8 million after recounting. Joka also noted the overage of over K30 000 and returned the money.
“At every stage, from collecting the money to verification, all teams are represented. Even Tigers representatives wondered why they were not asked before taking the matter to the police. I was surprised that all of us who were involved were called by the police the following day,” Mhango explained.
Bullets general secretary Harold Fote yesterday said he was satisfied with the explanation on the gate collections as the cut they received was from the side that first verified the gate collections and not the previous figure straight from the gates.
