Former ESCOM manager arrested for awarding contract to his brother

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested former ICT Manager for Electricity Supply Company of Malawi (ESCOM) for influencing the awarding of a contract to his brother’s company.

ACB Principal Public Relations Officer identified the suspect as David Tandwe.

According to Ndala, on 15th November, 2017, the ACB received a complaint alleging that the then ICT Manager for ESCOM Mr. Tandwe did not declare interest and influenced the Systems Administrator to award a contract to ICT Networks, a company belonging to his brother, Mr. Lester Tandwe.

The ACB instituted investigations which established that Tandwe failed to declare interest in the matter and instructed Mr. Greyson Chakhumata to split the proposed ESCOM’s ICT countrywide network into lots to circumvent the use of competitive bidding to allow unqualified prospective suppliers to bid in part or whole and win the proposed contract.

On 24th November, 2020, the ACB arrested  Tandwe for failure to declare interest and splitting of procurement requirements contrary to Section 25D (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act and Section 39 (2) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act, respectively.

He was taken to court where he was released on bail after producing a cash bond of MK500,000, two sureties each bonded at MK250,000 and surrendering travel documents to Court.

He was also ordered to report at ACB once every fortnight on Fridays and not to interfere with investigators or potential state witnesses.

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