Malawi arrests more gov officials for allegedly looting Covid-19 funds

At least 46 people have been arrested in Malawi for allegedly looting Covid-19 funds. President Lazarus Chakwera fired labour minister on Sunday for using Covid-19 funds to pay his allowances when he visited South Africa in November last year.

RUSTENBURG, April 21 (ANA) – At least 46 people have been arrested in connection with the misuse of about US$7.87 million (K6.2 billion) meant to fight the coronavirus in Malawi, police said on Wednesday.

Malawi Police Service spokesperson James Kadadzera said in a statement that seven more government officials were arrested on Wednesday.

“The arrested government officials are from Zomba City Council, Mangochi Municipal Council and Mchinji District Council. They include Charles Thombozi, chief executive officer for Zomba City Council,” he said.

The arrest brings the total number of arrests to 46 since Sunday. Nineteen people were arrested on Sunday, 12 on Monday and eight on Tuesday.

Kadadzera said those arrested would be charged with fraudulent false accounting among other charges, adding that more arrests were imminent.

President Lazarus Chakwera cracked the whip on Covid-19 fund looters on Sunday, sacking Labour Minister Ken Kandodo.

Kandodo reportedly borrowed US$766.627 (K613,000) from the Covid-19 funds to use it as his allowances when he accompanied Chakwera on his first official visit to South Africa in November last year.

Chakwera said even though Kandodo returned the money, he cannot have him in his cabinet.

“Even though the minister has since returned the money, his usage of the funds means that the money was unavailable for its intended purpose when it was needed most,” Chakwera said at the time.

“And I cannot have in my cabinet any individuals who either spend money budgeted for one thing on something else or do not ask tough questions to ensure that the money they are spending on something was budgeted for that purpose.”

Chakwera suspended controlling officers, including district commissioners and chief executive officers in February, and ordered a forensic audit into the Covid-19 funds following media reports that the funds were being abused.

The audit report, revealed that government officers and the private sector misspent about US$ 1.3 million of the funds through procurement and allowances irregularities.

Chakwera said all people implicated in the report would be tracked down and arrested.

“I want all the thieves hiding in the civil service to mark my words: If the finger of evidence points to you as one of the thieves who stole Covid money for saving lives while hundreds of our people were dying of Covid, you are going to prison,” he warned during his national address on Sunday.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Devereaux Morkel