Chakwera protecting another fraud-hit presidential advisor

President Lazarus Chakwera is yet to fire scandal-hit chief advisor on rural transformation and development, Adamson Joseph Mkandawire, who borrowed K378 million from a businessperson accused of defrauding Malawi Government.

The advisor Adamson Joseph Mkandawire borrowed money from businessman Abdul Lido Karim Batawalala.

Batawalala is a corruption suspect who together with three people from Immigration Department is answering the count of conspiracy to defraud by inflating the market price of 500 lockers procured by the Immigration Department.

The four are accused of inflating the market price of the lockers sourced from Africa Commercial Agency at K2 950 560 per unit price totaling K1.5 billion.

Mkandawire borrowed the money from Batatawala in order to use a chartered plane to move cargo from Nairobi to Lilongwe. He had agreed to repay the loan by and or before March 14, 2021, default of would lead to interest of  4 percent above the bank lending rate.

Batatawala and Mkandawire signed a document on the loan and it was also signed by their witnesses Maxwell Kalamula and Shyley Kondowe who are also reportedly presidential aides.

However, Mkandawire failed to repay the money and Batatawala dragged him to court. Mkandawire was then told to file defence or pay back the money within 14 days.

He filed defence saying he did not borrow money from Batatawala and signed the document by mistake.

“The defendant further avers that he signed the Acknowledgement of Debt Agreement by mistake as neither did the claimant pay any money to a third party on behalf of the defendant nor did the defendant receive or utilize any money from the claimant. The said Acknowledgement of Debt Agreement is therefore void, illegal and unenforceable against the defendant,” reads part of the defence.

Lawyer for Batatawala, Richard Kuleza Phokoso, has told the local media that the matter is still before the High Court Commercial Division in Blantyre where his client is attempting to recoup the money with interest.

Mkandawire refused to comment on the issue saying it is in court. He, however, wondered why Batatawala was speaking to the media about the issue, saying the money was loaned to him some two years ago.

There have been concerns that Chakwera is surrounded by aides whose aim is to steal from Malawians.

One of Chakwera’s advisors, Martin Thom, who was Executive Assistant and Special Advisor on Religious Affairs, was fired after smuggled a loan authorization bill to Parliament.

Chris Chaima who was Chakwera’s Advisor on Strategy and Manifesto was also fired last year after he was arrested in connection with fuel deals at the National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma).

In a leaked internal memo on Tuesday this week, State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga also admitted that some staff have been involved in corrupt acts.

He said criminal acts reported against State House employees include soliciting and receiving money from prospective bidders of public procurement in exchange for a promise to influence the awarding of contracts, soliciting money from business owners and parastatals using the Presidents name, and using the name of the State House to unlawfully acquire public goods, such as public land for private use.