Kapoloma dispels fire rumours at Msonkho House

Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Head of Corporate Affairs Steve Kapoloma has dispelled rumours that third floor at Msonkho House where MRA offices are has been gutted down by fire.

On Wednesday morning, the social media was awash with reports that MRA headquarters in Blantyre has been gutted down by fire.

This was followed by a photo showing workers at MRA hovering outside their offices.

The fire accident attracted mixed reactions with Human Right Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Chairperson Gift Trapence suspecting foul play.

“Comrades, it is becoming increasingly clear that some traces of impunity are still around in the public service delivery systems. This morning in Blantyre, a fire erupted in the third floor at Msonkho House where MRA offices are. We all know how critical information from that office is in the on-going efforts to establishing how public resources were being plundered in the previous regime under President Peter Mutharika.

“We suspect that what is happening is a deliberate attempt to destroy available evidence on how selfish individuals captured our state and abused public resources through evasion of tax and other dirty tricks. We urge the state security investigative mechanisms to probe the cause of the fire on third florr of Msonkho House this morning and bring to book the culprits,” wrote Trapence.

He added: “We all know how the previous administration employed arson to hide the truth by burning offices at the ministry of agriculture, at MEC warehouse andbelsewhere. Impunity no longer has space in the new Malawi that citizens tirelessly walked the streets to attain. Long live genuine democracy.”

But speaking in an interview with the press, Kapoloma said no fire incident happened at Msonkho House in Blantyre.

“We only had a spark which switched on the fire alarm. This prompted all the workers to hastily vacate their offices. The spark happened after one of the workers attempted to plug his computer into the socket.

“Be assured that everything is intact and no any document has been damage,” said Kapoloma.

MRA is currently being audited after reports of plunder of public funds through dubious deals emerged.