ACB to probe State House over MK65 million accommodation scandal

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said it will investigate corruption allegations involving State House top officials and owners of Crossroads Hotel.

ACB Director Reyneck Matemba disclosed this during a media briefing held on Monday in the capital Lilongwe aimed at updating Malawians on statues of some cases involving big guns in the country such as well-known business magnet Thom Mpinganjira and others.

According to Matemba, the bureau is following up the matter and it will soon launch its investigations on the issue.

Information at hand indicates that State House has been paying Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe for accommodation of an Israeli national Miguel Elias and three others from July 5 this year.

According to information at hand, officials are in Malawi to train officers from the Malawi Defense Force (MDF), the Malawi Police Service (MPS), National Intelligence Bureau and personal security personnel of President Lazarus Chakwera in VVIP close protection.

The Israelis are doing the training together with their Malawian trainers from MDF and MPS.

According to inside soruces, the hotel has been charging $300 (roughly K225,000) per day per room from July 5.

It is reported that about K6.2 million is paid to the hotel every week on top an additional K5.1 million for car rentals and daily allowances for the four.

But State House Press Officer Brian Banda has trashed the allegations saying its mere political propaganda.

Meanwhile Crossroads hotel has acknowledge receiving part payment from State House.