Covidgate: MDF, Police missing in report

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Malawi24.com

The Malawi Police Service  and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) are missing from the audit report on K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds even they received money.

The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) was released yesterday and it detail how Government Ministries, Department and Agencies abused and stole money meant for Covid-19 fight.

President Lazarus Chakwera said on January 17 that K580 million was allocated to the Security and Enforcement Cluster for joint border patrols and the enforcement of Coronavirus preventive measures by the Malawi Police Service, Immigration, Malawi Prison Service, National Intelligence Service.

Malawians are now questioning why the Malawians Police and the Army are not appearing in the report.

“The police tell me they were audited, but mysteriously the results have not been included in this report. The question is: Why?” asked social commentator Onjezani Kenani.

Mulotwa Mulotwa said the omission raises suspicions about the report itself.

“Malawi Defence Force [MDF] & Malawi Police Service [MPS] have not been mentioned in the K6.2 billion audit report.  Godot, this K6.2 billion report is suspect,” he said.

Some Malawians suggested that it is because their work borders on security.

However, in the report the National Intelligence Service (NIS) has been mentioned. Auditors found that officers at the NIS were paid K28 million in risk allowances without authorization. According to the report, officers received between K100,000 and K250,000 each in risk allowance. The NIS, however, allocated K1.6 million to procurement of Personal Prevention Equipment.

At the Department of Immigration, the report says K2 million was lost through ineligible expenditure on meals and accommodation for senior Immigration officers.

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