Officers of the Malawi Police Service (MPS) connived to steal K1 billion from the Malawi Government, an audit report has revealed.
The money was stolen between 2018 and 2020 by a syndicate of 11 officers working in the MPS.
According to a published report, the syndicate has been uncovered by an audit report which shows that money was being siphoned through a welfare account maintained by the MPS Headquarters in Lilongwe.
The welfare account was meant for keeping money deducted from police officers. However, officers involved in the syndicate were also depositing revenue cheques into the same account instead of an account maintained by the Homeland Security Ministry.
The funds were stolen from the account in form of payments to service providers.
Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda has told the local media that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is currently handling the matter.
DPP Steve Kayuni said they are looking to initiate investigations into the issue.
The 11 suspected officers could face charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud, false accounting, theft by public servant, uttering false document, forgery, forgery of stamps and money laundering.
The K1 billion corruption scandal comes about three years after a K2.7 billion food rations scandal also unraveled at the Malawi Police Service.
It was alleged that a businessperson was fraudulently awarded a K2.7 billion food rations contract by the MPS and after receiving payment for the tender, the businessperson deposited about K145 million into an account whose sole signatory was the then president Peter Mutharika. Two senior police officers were interdicted over the scandal.
This is really worrisome as Malawi is already struggling economically may almighty God see Malawi through.