Warrant of arrest obtained for Godfrey Itaye over suspected corruption offences 

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has obtained a warrant of arrest for former Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General, Godfrey Itaye for being reasonably suspected of having committed offenses under the Corrupt Practices Act and the Penal Code.

All counts are of abuse of public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of Corrupt Practices Act.

One of the counts is that serving as MACRA DG — in or around January 29, 2018 — he offered an employment to Daniel Datchi on the position of Revenue Assurance Manager when he did not have the necessary qualifications.

He is also charged on the allegations that he abused his office by inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacant position of Deputy Director-ICT Services, IT Support Manager, Projects Manager, Projects Monitoring Officer, Markets Assessment & Research Manager, Procurement Officer and Stores Manager.

These posts were advertised in the Weekend Nation newspaper of August 18, 2019 by way of voucher for the advantage of Kumbukani Lisilira, Vialanti Tambulasi, Pempho Mdala, Emmanuel Banda and Tiyamike Zawanda.

Another count is for inviting applications for the post of Administration Manager by way of voucher AM 12/2017 in the Nation newspaper of December 28, 2017 for the benefit of McDonald Pato Phoya.

In 2020, the Ombudsman, then Martha Chizuma who is now ACB Director General, opened investigations Itaye on allegations of nepotism, tribalism and abuse of office in the recruitment of officers during his tenure of office.

Chizuma engaged with Itaye’s replacement as MACRA Director General, Henry Shamu to compile a comprehensive response to each of the allegations she highlighted to touch on the recruitment process that was used for each of the positions in question i.e. the declaration of the vacancy, the adverts for the position, the shortlisting process, the interview process and the offer to successful candidates.

Itaye himself was being investigated on the allegations that he was irregularly employed as he was not fit to the high position considering that he had previously committed crimes with his former employer, National Bank of Malawi and in the course changed his name from Godfrey Masina to Godfrey Itaye.

In September 2020, the Malawi Police Service’s Fiscal and Fraud Section went on to arrest Itaye over fraud activities suspected to have occurred during the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.

Then Itaye was chief executive officer for Lilongwe Water Board but he was later relieved of his post after the country’s development partners expressed reservations of his appointment as he was being investigated by the Ombudsman and the fiscal police.

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