LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s social right group Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) is demanding a Forensic Audit at Malawi Roads Authority (RA) regarding to suspected dubious contracts deals government awarded to Mota-Engil.
The grouping says despite the firing of Eng. Emmanuel Matapa, the ex-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RA cannot go without Forensic Audit.
In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post, CMC says has faith in Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on its eyes on RA.
CMC Executive Director Philip Kamangirah observes that with the firing of the CEO Matapa and Director of Corporate Services, and without insinuating anything but a follow up investigation of his involvement in dubious deals he initiated during his leadership.
“We appreciate the fact that the Anti-Corruption Bureau is looking into the issues that were raised in our letter addressed to ACB where we called for investigations into road project contracts at Roads Authority especially those that were awarded to Mota-Engil, ” reads part of CMC statement.
Kamangirah adds, “We have faith and trust in the current ACB. With the firing of the CEO and Director of Corporate Services, and without insinuating anything, we demand a Forensic Audit at Roads Authority and of much interest to us are Mota-Engil projects.
“We push for Forensic Audit as we have always questioned several things from Roads Authority most of which took place during his tenure of office”.
Meanwhile Malawi government has halted some contracts that were awarded to Mota-Engil for further investigation on alleged fraud of ballooning contracts cost against initial budget agreement with the authorities.
Mota-Engil has not commented on the alleged fraud contracts awarded to the company.
Below is CMC full statement:
PRESS RELEASE ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT ROADS AUTHORITY
- Firing of the Chief Executive Officer
Centre for Mindset Change would like to express its gratitude to the government of Malawi for finally attending to the voice of well- minded Malawians who have for so long waited for the administration of justice on matters that concern them.
The firing of Eng. Emmanuel Matapa, the ex-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Roads Authority cannot go without a statement from us because we have always questioned several things from Roads Authority most of which took place during his tenure of office.
It is the hope of CMC and, indeed right-thinking Malawians that the whip will not only stop at Eng. Matapa and Ms. Auda Msiska but also others.
2. Terminal Benefits for the Fired Chief Executive Officer
The Office of the Ombudsman has previously made determinations on similar cases like at Malawi Energy Regulation Authority, Malawi Post and Telecommunications etc.
Similarly, other boards have recently fired CEOs and Directors that were merely appointed without paying them terminal benefits like at Board of Tobacco Control Commission, Lilongwe Water Board,Lilongwe Handling Company, etc.
We wonder why the Board of Roads Authority decided to award terminal benefits to Eng. Matapa and Ms. Auda Msiska.
This cements what we expressed in our letters to the Secretary of the Office of the President and Cabinet that we agree with Roads Authority employees who believe that the Board needs to be reconstituted.
MK6.3 million Fine for Non-Compliance on Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Parliament Circle to Game Complex 6-Lanes Road Project) CMC would like to also ask the Office of the Ombudsman and the Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet to look into the issue of the K6.3 million that Roads Authority has been fined.
We believe that the taxpayer cannot part away with all that just because of the incompetence of some people. Our call is that the responsible officers must pay that from their pockets. This will send a strong signal to public officers who have demonstrated negligence of the highest order.
3. Demand of Forensic Audit at Roads Authority
We appreciate the fact that the Anti-Corruption Bureau is looking into the issues that were raised in our letter addressed to ACB where we called for investigations into road project contracts at
Roads Authority especially those that were awarded to Mota-Engil.
We have faith and trust in the current ACB. With the firing of the CEO and Director of Corporate Services, and without
insinuating anything, we demand a Forensic Audit at Roads Authority and of much interest to us are Mota-Engil projects.
4. Reconstitution of the Board of Roads Authority
We still maintain our stand that the government must reconstitute the membership of the Board of Roads Authority. We will be following up with the Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet on this issue. In case some ethical members of the board are wondering our insistence here is a hint: some of your colleagues have been interfering with operations of Roads Authority by dealing with contractors on issues to do with payment of Interim Payment Certificates and information on upcoming tenders instead of sticking to their strategic governance mandate.
We believe they are not fit to serve Roads Authority with objectivity. Review of Some Elements in the Corruption Case of involving the Former CEO, Eng. Trevor Hiwa.
We are pleased that the courts have ruled that Eng. Trevor Hiwa has a case to answer. He was fired on the same allegations. It is not surprising that his successor has also been fired. This speaks volumes of the state of affairs at Roads Authority and as CMC we are concerned.
We would like the Director of Public Prosecutions to review the witnesses in this case. We have been informed by concerned employees at Roads Authority that some engineers, who according to the Commission of Enquiry are accomplices, are state witnesses and not the accused. This was done before the new DPP was appointed.
We agree with the concerned employees that this needs serious attention because the Commission of Inquiry even recommended that these engineers must be disciplined, and nothing has happened to date.
Call for More Information
CMC would like to inform Malawians that since the firing of the two, Roads Authority’s employees are providing us with information regarding what has been happening at Roads Authority. We will be submitting some of this information to the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Office of the Ombudsman in due course.
CMC would like to therefore request all those that have information worth noting to not hesitate to contact us. This applies not only to RA issues but any other issue that is worth our attention.
Our offices are in Rainbow Building, Along Paul Kagame Road and the email address is; centre4mindsetchange@gmail.com
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Conclusion
As Centre for Mindset Change, we will not relent on this, and we will continue engaging various institutions on this matter. We are evidence and issue based institution and we will strive to act fairly and with honesty.
Signed: Philip Kamangirah, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
