20 MPs to be arrested for abusing CDF

Government has recommended the arrest of 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) who are suspected to have stolen Constituency Development Fund (CDF) amounting to K80 million.

Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe revealed in Parliament on Wednesday that 20 legislators are believed to have mismanaged funds in their respective constituencies.

According to Gondwe, an audit conducted in 2016 showed that from the K3 billion given to 16 district councils under the CDF and District Development Funds (DDF), K80 million was unaccounted for.

“As government we want to ensure that the suspects are brought to book and prosecuted,” he said.

According to the report Gondwe cited, some legislators were sourcing quotations on their own, thereby taking the role of district council procurement committees.

The legislators also snubbed area development committees in their constituencies when implementing the projects while in some constituencies, legislators sourced construction materials from their relatives.

This led to substandard structures which will need to be replaced soon.

Meanwhile, Gondwe has said government is planning to abolish DDF and CDF saying it will find another way of directly channelling funds to people.

But last week Gondwe increased CDF from K18 million to K23 million though legislators wanted the funds increased to K30 million.