Chikwawa council suspends procurement officer for funds’ misappropriation
Chikwawa District stakeholders meeting sitting at the council’s chamber hall on Tuesday agreed to suspend the district council’s Procurement Officer on suspicion of corruption and underperformance.
The council’s chairperson, councilor Dyson Manjolo said at the end of the meeting that the suspension is with immediate effect and the officer, Thomson Wansambo, will be called back for duties when the mist is cleared.
In 2017/2018 financial year, about K120 million which was allocated for the District Development Fund (DDF) was used but all projects are still incomplete.
“The malpractices involve the inflating figures of buying construction materials such as cement with an aim to rob the council,” said councilor Manjolo.
He added that the council officials were now tired with the conduct of the officer when discharging his duties in the past two years.
“Various projects remain incomplete yet government has been allocating funds in time for their implementation,” Manjolo said.
He added that the council is in the process of forming a committee to probe the matter although there were some calls for immediate posting of the officer.
Councilors and chiefs including Traditional Authority Mulilima further blamed the Procurement Officer of ballooning figures of purchasing construction materials where for example bags of cement appeared to be bought at K10, 000 each yet no shop in the district sold bags of cement at that amount.
When contacted, Thomson Wansambo denied all corruption allegations.
“As an officer, all I do is to discharge my duties with professionalism. I think the decision to suspend me is a politically motivated,” Wansambo said.
Palibe nkhani apa mupusapo chabe. There is no fraud here. The thing is most people don’t understand public procurement as a result timangolankhula zinthu zomwe sitikuziziwa.
Ndasowa koma
Yes K10,000 ndiyogwira. Kuchokera kogulako kupita kuproject area iyenda pamutu kapena pa transport?
DC is also involved because he authorised the procurement documents.
Nkhani ndiyoti apondanapo. Ndiye akufuna amulange mwanayu kuti osamapondana. Nsamba imodzi ikaora mmdengu ndiyekuti zonse zaora.
Political motivated? Ndinu nomwe?
During the One Patty era of Kamuzu, words like corruption, misappropriation, inflating figures, never existed. Either one had stolen, or committed fraud. There was no Anticorruption Bureau. We had the Police Fiscal Department and the CID Department. Things used to work then. Everybody who stole went to jail. Today the less you steal, you more likely you will be jailed. But if you steal millions, let alone billions, you will certainly not go to jail. Your crime falls under “Unfounded, Unsubstantiated, Malicious, Politically Motivated Allegations” to be dismissed with costs. Stolen money is returned to the culprit, he/she is reinstated… Read more »
Mwansambo you are a liar. There is no politics here. You stole the money. What is political in buying cement at K10 000 when the actual price is around K7500 or K8000. Munaba baba. Please open a case for this guy. He has to go to jail !
politically motivated? How did you arrive at the price of cement,? Is this political? Be serious Mr wansambo.