A K700 million scam at NOCMA has fired up fresh demands for accountability, with calls growing for the suspension of the company’s Public Relations Officer and the dissolution of its Board.
The Concerned Citizens of Malawi People Power Movement (CCM-PPM) has made the demands following the alleged fraudulent transfer of US$403,605.63, equivalent to about K700.6 million.
The demands come after the arrests of NOCMA Deputy Chief Executive Officer Miklas Reuben and Senior Operations Manager Thokozani Jacob Sesani in connection with the disputed transaction.
In a statement signed by Executive Director Edward Kambanje, Secretary General Prince Mattaka and Senior Member Oliver Nakoma, CCM-PPM said the arrests have raised serious questions about NOCMA’s handling of the transaction.
The movement said the arrests suggest that the incident may not have been caused solely by an external cyberattack.
CCM-PPM said the development could point to serious institutional negligence or possible internal involvement.
The movement has also accused NOCMA’s Public Relations Office of misleading the public over the disputed payment.
According to CCM-PPM, Likambale reportedly said no government funds were lost and that the hacking incident occurred on the side of Mozhandling Limited.
“voodooThis calculated PR U-turn was a deliberate, bad-faith maneuver designed to deceive taxpayers, obstruct public accountability, and cover up a criminal investigation.
“If no money was lost, why has the Malawi Police Service arrested NOCMA’s Deputy CEO and Senior Operations Manager for _Negligence by a Public Officer in Preserving Money and Misuse of Public Office?,” reads part of the statement.
CCM-PPM has also questioned why NOCMA allegedly took about three months to disclose the loss.
The movement said the delay raises further questions about what happened between the disputed transaction and the eventual disclosure to the public.
It has therefore called for the immediate suspension of Likambale pending investigations into the matter and also the dissolution of the NOCMA Board
“In light of these alarming revelations, we demand the following immediate actions: Resignation or Dissolution of the NOCMA Board of Directors: The Board failed in its statutory oversight duty under Section 10 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) by permitting an executive cover-up to persist for three months until public pressure forced police intervention,” Kambanje stated.
The movement has further called on the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) to join the Malawi Police investigation.
It wants the institutions to trace the missing funds and establish whether there were any internal accomplices.
CCM-PPM has also called on Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to conduct public hearings into the transaction.
The movement said the hearings should establish who authorised the payment, how the transaction was processed and why the public allegedly received conflicting explanations.
CCM-PPM has finally demanded the full recovery of the disputed funds.
The movement said accountability should not stop with the officials already arrested if investigations establish that other individuals were involved.