CDEDI asks Mutharika to fire Mhango, Botomani over COVID-19 allowance-gate scandal

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has asked President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika to fire his two Cabinet Ministers involved in the plunder of public funds meant for coronavirus fight in the country.

On Wednesday, the social media was awash with a leaked video clip showing Minister of Health and Population Jappie Mhango and Minister of Information Mark Botomani discussing allowance issue while on the podium.

The two were unaware that the microphone was on when they discussed how to lie on the hefty allowances they receive on daily basis.

The video clip has attracted mixed reactions with many calling for the immediate firing of the two Ministers.

In a statement released on Thursday, CDEDI Acting Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa has given President Mutharika 48 hours to fire the two.

“If the recent leaked conversation between Minister of Health Jappie Mhango, who was the Chairperson of the now dissolved COVID-19 ministerial Committee and Minister of Information Mark Botomani a member of the committee and government spokesperson, is anything to go by, then many Malawians who expressed their reservations on the conduct of the committee have been vindicated!

“Listening to the conversation it is clear that the committee members’ priority was to enrich themselves on the pretext of combating the pandemic,” said Namiwa.

He added: “CDEDI is convinced that the leaked conversation and the video clip that have gone viral on both mainstream and social media platforms means an outright job that has been cut out for President Mutharika who in his own words while swearing in this cohort of ministers at Sanjika Palace warned he would not spare corrupt ministers.

“On the other hand the involvement of the government spokesperson means the face of government has been heavily bruised to the effect that every time the minister is seen or heard speaking on radio and on TV the contentious conversation will be coming to the minds of the general public.

“CDEDI is therefore giving Mutharika 48 hours to fire Mhango and Botomani for the sake of his own credibility and that of his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).”

Meanwhile CDEDI has asked the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director Rayneck Matemba to move in swiftly by prosecuting the two ministers.