CCEDI raps Chakwera: Says Malawi leader lied that passport system has been hacked
Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has come in strong against President Lazarus Chakwera saying the Malawi leader has not only lied to the world but, also, proved himself to be a security threat to the nation by hoodwinking Malawians into believing that the country’s passport printing system has been hacked, and that the hackers are demanding a ransom.
In a scathing statement released today and signed its executive director Sylvester Namiwa, CCEDI says it has done its investigation into the matter and has reasons to believe that the President disguised Techno Brain as a hacker, and further disguised the GIT’s maintenance contract fee as ransom in order to earn himself and his administration public sympathy.
“Malawians may wish to know that on March 22, 2019 the Malawi Government engaged Techno Brain on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis where the company used its money to build the system for printing passports on the understanding that it would recover its money through passport fees and later hand over the operations of the system to the Malawi Government after three years.
“Important to note here is that passports are not printed using Other Recurrent Transaction (ORT) but money that people pay when they apply for passports. At the expiry of the BOT contract, Techno Brain handed over everything to the Malawi Government.
“However, for purposes of the smooth running of the system, Techno Brain recommended a Dubai-based company, known as GIT, as a maintenance consultant. Apparently, this was done in view of the need for replacement of the system’s parts, including servicing. The above is now the genesis of the current crisis. Some well-known Malawi Congress Party-connected ICT gurus, including officials from e-Government, Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and National Registration Bureau (NRB), against technical advice from internal ICT team at the Immigration Department, bypassed Techno Brain and GIT and tampered with the system in an effort to run away from paying licence fees,” reads the statement.
CCEDI further alleges that its investigations show that the system was tampered with through the Lilongwe saver office at Malawi Postal Corporation Training Centre, along the Paul Kagame Road where the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services headquarters is earmarked to be located.
“When their attempts proved futile, they invited a Techno Brain team which came for assessment, hence the public notice by the Department of Immigration titled ‘MAINTENACE OF PASSPORT ISSUANCE SYSTEM’ dated January 28, 2024.
“According to the assessment report, the Techno Brain team recommended to government that they needed eight days to bring back the system and printing could resume in Lilongwe and Blantyre. To be followed by Mzuzu and Mangochi.
“The Techno Brain team said all it needed was a mandate to start working to recover the system, but the MCP ICT team acted wiser and convinced government that they did not need Techno Brain’s assistance, hence the government has not granted Techno Brain mandate to recover the system,” said Namiwa.
CCEDI had continued to say that President Chakwera is shielding the trio that is holding this country at ransom, by allowing them to feed the nation lies that they will be able to run the system, through bypassing GIT and Techno Brain, at the expense of people requiring to travel for medical attention, business and school.
“The system requires a disaster recovery site, which was among Techno Brain’s deliverables as per provision of the expired contract,” reads the statement.
CCEDI has since CDEDI implores the relevant committee in the August House to immediately call for a live public inquiry over the matter, where Techno Brain would also be heard.
“By public convenience, the government should immediately recall able hands that have full knowledge and skills of the said ‘hacked system’ but were unceremoniously interdicted, posted and/or transferred, to go back and solve this national crisis, and save the country from the embarrassment government has pushed it into,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile, CCEDI continues, the seven (7) working days’ ultimatum stands and they will mobilise Malawians to conduct peaceful demonstrations, protesting the 21 days and forcing a public inquiry on the same.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
