The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says the leaker of its investigation report is not a hero but a person who committed a serious criminal offence.
This is according to ACB Director General Reyneck Matemba who was speaking at press briefing in Lilongwe on Friday, July 13th.
At the briefing Matemba admitted that the leakage happened but said it happened at a time the investigation was at a preliminary stage.
It is pity that some people are glorifying the person who leaked the report, saying he is a hero and patriotic; patriotic! My foot,the Director General said.
He added that investigation is still underway to establish the identity of the leaker.
“The Bureau is conducting investigations into the leakage of the report because that is against the ethics and practice of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Section 54 (Corrupt Practices (Oath of Secrecy) Regulations of the Corrupt Practices Act clearly prohibits unauthorized release of information.
The leakage has to be investigated as it has a negative impact on the operations of the Bureau. Our work in the Bureau demands the cooperation of various stakeholders. The leakage puts the Bureau at a great risk of losing the goodwill of various players if this is not checked.” Worried Matemba.
He continued by saying that the bureau sought the services of a private investigator to help with some aspects of the investigation adding that the probe has been funded by one of its cooperating partner.
According to Matemba, the leakage has affected the probe as three people have said they may not continue coming forth with relevant information for prosecution of the case because they have been exposed by the leakage.
He then lashed out at claims that the bureau is wasting resources in investing in the investigation into the person who leaked the report rather than using them to investigate murder of one of its directors, Issa Njauju.
The Bureau does not have a mandate to investigate murder cases. We reported his [Njauju] missing to police. It is therefore misleading for anyone to link the two investigations as they are different and being handled by different agencies, said Matemba.
The leaked report says a company called Pioneer Investment owned by Zameer Karim was awarded a contract to supply rations to the Malawi Police Service at one price but later asked the Police to adjust the price after the award.
According to the ACB report, Police Director of Finance Innocent Botomani single handedly approved the price adjustment which saw the government overpaying Pioneer Investments by a whooping MK466 million.
The leaked report further implicated President Peter Mutharika in the receipt of K145 million from Karim.
However, presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani insisted that the president did not benefit from the money, saying it was a donation from Mr. Karim to the governing Democratic Progressive Party.
Why are you ACB blaming the leaker NOT THE STEALER THE CORRUPTED OLD GOGOz???
I don’t see your logic
Mulibe nzeru a Matemba
Mwina ndinu nomwe munatulutsa report
Foolish Matemba you are talking nosense…i say he is a hero because the truth is been revealed if he didn’t do that we couldn’t know about it you were going to hide the whole of it because it involved your stupid Father Auther Munthalika you guys you take Malawi citizens for granted and its high time now.. ..This is just the beginning there’s more yet to come…you will be exposed…
Mr Matemba don’t take us for granted. We have pain in our hearts. We trusted u on that position. We need results and not kulubwa lubwako. This nkhani is straight forward. Bite now. No compromise.
You doesnt have priorities at all.
Malawians are not interested with who who leaked the report, we are interested with bringing the culprits mentioned in the report to book.
What else are you waiting for??? You are accepting the DPP damaging your reputation! I thought that things were going to change with your coming to ACB. But I can see that you are another boot liker just like others who had passed at ACB.
Malawians want you to finish this by arresting these people. Do the right thing remember we pay you salary every month. That money must be returned. Kids are dying in these mud school blocks, pegnant women are sleeping on the floor because someone stole their money and you are protecting them. You are hiring a foreigner to investigate your our hero why?
To us this guy is a hero to Malawians, pakanapanda iyeyu inu monga mukanatiuza?? you were going to keep them in your drawers like what you usually do with the other cases. Long live our HERO.
The one who has leaked this is a person who hears cries of those pregnant mothers who are sleeping on the floor in our public hospitals. He has heard the crying of pupils who were hit to death by the mud walls of their classroom in Zomba and other places we haven’t heard of.
This HERE has again heard the cries of those people who are travelling km and km to find a heath center.
But you are saying he is not a hero? Thats why you have guts to bring a foreigner to investigate poor Malawians who are dying? Shame on You DIRECTOR.
People thank him/her because you don’t finish your jobs supposed to be. You stay in the corrupt dreamed world