PRESIDENT JOYCE BANDA ORDERS RECALL OF HER SUSPENDED ESCOM ‘ERRAND BOY’, OVER MK450 MILLION DOWN THE DRAIN It seems that Malawi is cursed in as far as fighting corruption in government is concerned. Acting President Joyce Hilda Mtila Banda has ordered ESCOM management to recall from suspension her ‘errand boy’ at the energy supplier we can reveal. ESCOM has since complied with the presidential order recalling its suspended Senior Procurement Manager, Jack Thabwa. Thabwa was suspended over a month ago but has since reported for duties in a different capacity as ordered by interim President Joyce Hilda Mtila Banda. ESCOM has specifically created a post called Projects Procurement Specialist as a way of shielding him from all the investigations that were being carried out on him. Interestingly, his former post of Senior Procurement Manager has been declared vacant and advertised in the local newspapers this week. According to our impeccable sources, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has also been ordered to stop any probe on Jack Thabwa, He was under ACB and ESCOM internal auditors probe after the organisation lost over MK 450,000 million through mysterious dealings with suppliers. The whooping nearly half a billion loss through this individual has been registered in the last two years acting President Joyce Hilda Mtila Banda has been at the helm of the reigns of power in this southern African country. Mrs. Joyce Hilda Mtila Banda, dealt with Thabwa through her two sons Geoffrey and Roy Kachale and her business associate, Osward Lutepo. Thabwa, was being used by the trio in exaggeration of procurement figures, ballooning them before the two Kachales and Lutepo supplied materials through conduit companies and in some situations not even supply at all but claim payments from ESCOM. ESCOM management and board accused Jack Thabwa of procuring 1,700 units of Cut Units without following procedures and suspect him of being involved in graft with the supplier. According to senior ESCOM officials we spoke to, Thabwa, procured the 1,700 units from a British supplier who charged ESCOM, 400 British Pounds per unit which totaled up to (1,700 units x 400/unit = 680,000 pounds x 680 (Kwacha – Pound present rate) = MK462,400,000. However, in normal circumstances, ESCOM pays between US$4-US$10 per unit for the same items and there was a supplier who quoted ESCOM US$10 per unit before Thabwa opted for the most expensive at 400 British Pounds per unit. If ESCOM opted for lowest bidder, they would have paid (1,700 units x US$10/unit = US$17,000 x 420 (Kwacha – US $ present rate) = MK 7,140,000. This led to ESCOM lose about MK450, 000,000 (MK462, 400,000- MK7, 140, 00) = MK455, 260,000. Achoke! Achoke! Achoke!!!
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:28:44 +0000