Malawi government interdicts 3 over K51 million

Government has interdicted three officials from the Ministry of Disability, Transport and Public Works and Accountant General’s Department for allegedly embezzling K51 million.

Government has named the three civil servants as Squire Chakwana, Deusdedit Tenthani and Tendai Naeja. They were working as accounts assistants.

Chakwana, who was working with the Accountant General, is alleged to have misappropriated money amounting to K5 million. A letter announcing his interdiction bears the reference number AC 4600.

Tenthani, who was stationed at the Ministry of Disability and Elderly Affairs, is alleged to have misappropriated K19.8 million.

The reference number for his letter of interdiction is AC 4599.
Tendai Naeja is alleged to have misappropriated money amounting to K27 million.

He was working with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works and the reference number of his interdiction letter is AC 4601.

The letters signed by a Ms Dzanjalimodzi are dated May 10, 2013.

Ministry of Finance spokesperson Nations Msowoya confirmed the interdiction of the three officers in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

“I can confirm that the money missed in the ministries and department the named officers were working. When the issue was reported, investigations were instituted. After investigations there were some grounds that warranted the interdictions,” Msowoya said.

He said all the officers were on police bail. Meanwhile the National Audit Office (NAO) is auditing the Accountant General’s Department following the alleged missing of money amounting to K150 million.

NAO instituted the investigations following a request by the former Accountant General on the missing money. The Department reported the missing of some discarded cheques that were meant for destruction by the Reserve Bank of Malawi, and it was alleged that some people used them to cash money. By Theresa Chapulapula