The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has promised to return the K145 million it received from Pioneer Investment but Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are not satisfied.
Spokesperson for the DPP Nicholas Dausi announced at a press briefing on Saturday morning that the party will return the K145 million which was a donation from Pioneer Investment.
Dausi said the decision follows misunderstandings surrounding the donation which he said the party received in good faith.
“We received the money from Pioneer investment as a donation but after noticing that there are protests we have decided to return the money,” he said.
Owner of Pioneer Investment Zameer Karim made the donation a few days after receiving payment for the supply of food rations to Malawi Police under a contract which he was fraudulently awarded. A leaked Anti-Corruption Bureau report revealed that Karim stole K466 million from government using the contract.
Several CSOs asked the DPP to return the money while the Youth and Society (YAS) moved the courts to freeze Pioneer’s account and the DPP account to which the K145 million was sent.
Speaking to the local media, YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka said DPP should send the money to government so that it should be used by people of Malawi.
“We think DPP could have done better by giving that money back to the people of Malawi where it was stolen,” he said.
He added that DPP’s promise to return the money will not affect the case in court because what YAS want is for the money to be returned to Malawians.
Activist Timothy Mtambo also questioned DPP’s decision to return the money to Pioneer Investment.
DPP is just blinding us while they are looking for other ways to make money. For example do you know that DPP sent the Chief Executive Officer of Lilongwe City Assembly to around in all locations in Lilongwe to remove sign posts for small businesses. This was indeed done on 30 July 2028, Kudula zikwangwani ndi generator power. And yet these are businesses that are licensed and the signpost rules and guidelines are not clear and not communicated well to people. But they are doing this just to raise money probably for campaign because they are asking people to pay about K290,000 to put back each sign, eya zoona! Almost a million watcha for three however these sign posts are those posted on side roads and on the premises osati mumiseu ikulu ikulu. Roads that are not even maintained, city rates are collected but the city can not provide basic services, even kunyamula zinyalala is now done by private people. This is the worst era for Malawi and the poor citizens are abused and exploited with no one to stand up and speak for them. Boma likulanda the little people can make. Shutting down small businesses to promote unemployment and poverty…….
Apepese ku mtundu wa malawi basi.
Akapatsananso behind kuseli
DPP umbava basi
If this issue goes to court that money would be solid evidence