BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—As President Lazarus Chakwera is sitting on the much needed K6.2 billion audit report, a leaked report has revealed massive plunder of Covid-19 funds under his watch.
According to the report, which was circulated on social media by whistle blower Idriss Ali Nassah, Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DODMA) made dubious payment of conference packages to Umodzi Park.
The report also indicates a missing cash of about K12 million.
In August 2020 when the Ombudsman was investigating how Covid-19 funds were used between March to July 2020, DODMA staff paid themselves K2.3 million in allowances in order to prepare for a meeting with the Ombudsman.
The K6.2 billion Covid-19 money caused a storm after it was learnt that over 80 per cent of the money went into allowances for officials instead of fighting Covid-19 and Sixteen officials from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) were arrested in connection with the same.
Meanwhile, there is increasing pressure on the government to release the results of an audit that President Lazarus Chakwera demanded two months ago on the expenditure of K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds.
On Thursday last week, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson, Gift Trapence, gave government 21 days to release the audit report.
“It’s true we are giving the government 21 days to release the audit report as regards to the K6.2 billion. If the government will not comply, HRDC will have no choice but just to mobilise Malawians and go into the streets. We will just announce the date of the demonstrations after the 21 days,” he said.