Malawi President Fires Minister Over Misuse of Covid Funds

Related stories

Breakdown as FAAC Disburses N1.818 Trillion in June 2025 

• FG Receives Lion share By Abiola Olawale The Federation Account...

2027: Osun Senator, Fadeyi Dumps PDP, Amid Adeleke’s Defection Speculations

By Abiola Olawale Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi, the lawmaker representing Osun...

Ranked: The 40 Countries With the Best Culture and Heritage

Greece is the best country in the world known...

EFCC Probing 18 Sitting Governors in Major Corruption Crackdown, Olukoyede Reveals

Reveals ex-governor Arrested in UK for spraying Money By...

Natasha Vows to Return to Senate Tuesday, Despite Akpabio’s Appeal

By Abiola Olawale Suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has...

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has dismissed Labour Minister Ken Kandodo from his cabinet over allegations of diverting K613,000 COVID-19 funds to pay for a government trip.

The alleged misappropriation of is part of a wider embezzlement scandal of K6.2 billion.

By Wednesday’s official exchange of Kwacha to Dollars, K613,000 is about $800 while K6.2 billion is about $7.8 million.

Speaking in a televised address to the nation, Chakwera disclosed that the minister was named to have mismanaged government funds in an investigative audit report on COVID-19 Funds.

According to the President, the audit report indicated that funds intended for the country’s COVID-19 response was diverted to fund a government trip to South Africa in 2020.

Though Chakwera noted that Kandodo had refunded the said K613,000 ($800) on February 24, 2021, his sack is necessary to send a crucial message:

“I have dropped him from my cabinet accordingly. Even though the minister has since returned the money, his usage of the funds means that the money was unavailable for its intended purpose when it was needed most.

“I cannot have in my cabinet any individuals who either spend the money budgeted for one thing on something else or do not ask tough questions to ensure that the money they are spending on something was budgeted for that purpose.”

The President has also ordered the arrest of scores of civil servants who are allegedly part of the wider misappropriation of K6.2 ($7.8 million) COVID-19 funds.

In his words, “As I speak, over a dozen individuals suspected of committing the crimes exposed by this audit report have just been arrested by the Malawi Police Service. There are no sacred cows. There will be more arrests,” he said.

According to the latest report of the Malawi COVID-19 Taskforce agency, the country has recorded 34,000 cases of COVID-19, with 1,138 deaths, as at the time of filling this report.

Two cabinet ministers in the administration of Chakwera had died of suspected COVID-19 complications.

Abiola Olawale
Abiola Olawale
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Breakdown as FAAC Disburses N1.818 Trillion in June 2025 2027: Osun Senator, Fadeyi Dumps PDP, Amid Adeleke's Defection SpeculationsRanked: The 40 Countries With the Best Culture and HeritageEFCC Probing 18 Sitting Governors in Major Corruption Crackdown, Olukoyede RevealsNatasha Vows to Return to Senate Tuesday, Despite Akpabio's AppealPresidency, ADC in War of Words Over BuhariPresidency, ADC in War of Words Over Buhari(VIDEO) Gambari Weighs in on Buhari's Legacy, Says History Will Be Kind to Him2027: Osun Senator, Fadeyi Dumps PDP, Amid Adeleke's Defection SpeculationsEFCC Probing 18 Sitting Governors in Major Corruption Crackdown, Olukoyede RevealsDrama as Okpebholo Tells Peter Obi: Notify me Before Visiting Edo or Else I Can't Guarantee Your SecurityTrump Vows to Sue Rupert Murdoch as Epstein Report Opens New Rift in Their RelationshipTinubu Names IBB’s Son, Top Experts to Lead Key Nigerian Agencies2027: Labour Party Appoints Nenadi Usman as Interim National Chairperson Alleged $9.6 Billion P&ID Fraud: Fleeing Briton’s Surety Arrested, Produced In Court
X whatsapp