Ombudsman Martha Chizuma Orders Return Of Covid-19 Allowances That Were Awarded Dubiously

Ombudsman Martha Chizuma has ordered that all individuals who received dubious allowances from Covid-19 funds should return the money into Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) by December 20, 2020.

Chizuma made the order this morning during the pressing brief in which her office was presenting the report to do with misappropriate of Covid-19 funds.

The office if the Ombudsman instituted investigations to find out on how the Covid-19 funds were being abused and lack of accountability as some institutions complained of being left out in the cold from the Covid-19 resources.

According to Chizuma, the report found out that Covid-19 has two separate accounts one from DODMA and the other from the Ministry of Finance

The Ombudsman has since directed that Ministry of Finance should close the account that was created for people to channel Covid-19 funds because it was not necessary.

The report on Covid-19 funding shows that the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 that was appointed by former president Peter Mutharika was drawing about K 2 million every week they had been holding a meeting.

Chizuma has since asked the Minister of Health to stop paying allowances using Covid-19 funding.