The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has revealed that 73 cases which involve accumulated loot of K1.2 trillion have been reviewed for prosecution.
ACB Director General, Reyneck Matemba, revealed this at a press briefing in Lilongwe.
He said the bureau has over 3000 cases and is currently focusing on 73 which involve K1.2 trillion, an amount which is about half of the K2.2 trillion 2020/21 national budget.
Matemba said the bureau feels the cases are doable and worth the chase.
“These cases had the ability to deprive Malawi of over 1.2 trillion Kwacha in money laundering, illegal recruitments, corruption, theft, abuse of office and other financial crimes,” he said
Matemba further said that the bureau has issued stop orders on a number of activities which are under investigations.
These include the alleged procurement of ambulances from Zambia and the recruitment of officers by the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA).
The ACB also revealed that is it currently chasing 19 involving high profile people including business mogul Thom Mpinganjira as well as politicians Uladi Mussa and Christopher Mzomera Ngwira. Other people include former MDF Commander Henry Odilo, former Mangochi DC Jack Nguluwe, former ESCOM chairperson Jean Mathanga, businessperson Zameer Karim, police boss Innocent Botomani, NFRA deputy chief Gerald Viola and former Lilongwe city mayor Desmond Bikoko.
During, the press briefing, Matemba also defended the prosecution of Mzomera who stole K250,000 and was sentenced to four years in prison.
He said the ACB did not look at the amount but the breach of trust for him as a public servant.
“Let me warn all MPs that we will deal with anyone found mismanaging CDF, DDF as daily we keep receiving complaints on how the funds are being abused. And we will arrest anyone despite the amount,” said Matemba.
