HRDC  wants Malawi First Lady Mutharika to pay back MK30m drain from Govt coffers on her UK’s private trip

By Nenenji Mlangeni

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s human rights body under the banner, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) on Wednesday threatened to drag First Lady Gertrude Mutharika to court over allegations that she used MK30 million taxpayers’ money on a private trip to the United Kingdom.

HRDC Vice Chairperson Gift Trapence says first lady Gertrude Mutharika should give back 30 million Kwacha she has used for her trip to the United Kingdom within seven days.

State House has however dismissed assertions that the whole amount goes that far, saying part of the entourage was dropped.

On Wednesday morning, the Maravi Post carried an articles that revealed that First Lady Gertrude Mutharika took  an entourage of seven aides on a 10-day trip to the United Kingdom (UK) to attend the graduation of her son, draining at least MK30 million from public coffers.

The First Lady left Malawi on Monday on South African Airways through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe for the graduation of her son Tadikira Mafubza this Friday. He is graduating from the University of Greenwich with a master of science in civil engineering.

The First Lady disembarks from an aeroplane during one of her foreign trips.

While the First Lady is entitled to government-funded external travel, taxpayers will foot accommodation, air tickets and allowances for her entourage.

Sources confided in Nation Online that Mutharika is accompanied by seven State Residences officials, including security, who have taken MK315 000 ($420) each per day for the 10 days.

The allowances translate to MK3.1 million per individual and MK22 million for the seven for 10 days.

The sources said the allowances do not include the First Lady’s entitlement and accommodation for the entourage, meaning that the amount could be higher as an average air ticket from Malawi to London is pegged at MK900 000 which adds up to MK7.2 million for the whole team.

This is not the first time First Lady embroiled into abuse of public resources when in 2015 drained millions of kwacha from National Aid Commission (NAC) for finance her questionable organisation, Beam Trust.

Maravi Post Reporter

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