By Nenenji Mlangeni
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s former First Lady Gertrude Mutharika and her son Tadikira Mabfuza existed at the State House with so many siphons of public money.
The duo had another company, which actually did not exist (Ghost Company), that drew a whooping MK7.8 billion of public money.
The story’s scope
The Malawi Government initiated an ambitious project that aimed at increasing electricity generation and the budget was formulated and passed by Parliament in the 2018/2019 financial year budget.
Kam’mwamba Coal-fired Power Generation Company (KPGC), was responsible for the execution of the project that was to take place at Kam’mwamba in Neno district.
KPGC entered a side deal with the First Lady. The First Lady and her son Tadikira came up with a company and named it Black and Veach.
The deal was such that Black and Veach was to provide technical consultancy service to KPGC on the implementation of the project.
The KPGC sought a ‘No Objection’ from the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) to engage the firm and that was granted.
The KPGC lied that Black and Veach is a company registered in USA. However, a follow-up indicated that Black and Veach was neither available as a registered company in USA. Not even in Malawi. Not elsewhere even.
It occurred that the name Black and Veach was only coined to imitate a USA registered engineering firm called Black and Veatch (with a “t” on it), headquarted in the Kansas City with its African branch in South Africa.
When an effort was undertaken to cross-check with Black and Veatch (which is duly registered in USA), Black & Veatch director of external communications, corporate marketing and communications Mr. Patrick MacElroy, after consulting its regional office in Johannesburg, South Africa, said Black & Veatch does not have a contract with KPGC or any entity in Malawi.
The nature of the contract was that KPGC, with the First Lady’s son, who was to graduate with his master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Greenwich in Kent – London, was to provide the technical counsel, supervision and management of the power project (the consultancy) to the KPGC.
As would be expected with technical counsel from a corrupt novice, offering his consultancy through a ghost company, KPGC eventually failed to build the coal-fired power plant and was eventually dissolved but after billions of public money had been drained into the mafia gang turning them into overnight billionaires.
Fully loaded with cash, Tadikira used to fly in Business Class to South Africa with a gang of friends just to have dinner in Sandton, chill a bit for the next couple of days and fly back to Malawi. Stolen public money while the country’s public service delivery was pathetic.
KPGC awarded the contract to Black & Veach on June 22 2018 by the Ministry Natural Resources, Energy and Mining (the Minister was Mr. Binton Kutsaira) after obtaining a No Objection Letter form the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) (the Director General was Mr. Elias Hausi).
In the scheme of public procurement, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act gives the ACB the mandate to vet single source method of procurement or high value procurement in pursuant to the powers conferred on the bureau under Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices Act.
The contract between KPGC and Black and Veach was both a single source and comprising high value procurement. But the ACB was bypassed. The PPDA gave the No Objection Letter without applying to ACB for vetting.
Now
When Getrude Mutharika, Tadikira Mabfudza, Binton Kutsaira, Elias Hausi and all accomplices not mentioned here get arrested and prosecuted in Court, you will still call it political persecution or witch-hunting?
This is what bothering former Malawi’s Homeland Minister Nicholus Dausi on alleged witch-hunting.
Malawi needs her money back and needs justice now.
WELCOME TO NEW MALAWI OF RULE OF LAW
Musanza!!
