About $2 million collected between February and September last year has not been accounted for at the Road Traffic Directorate (RTD), according to a financial report from the directorate.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it has launched investigations into the matter.
A financial inquiry printed from RTD's Malawi Traffic Information System (Martis) accounting system between February and July 2004 in our possession shows that RTD did not deposit about $1 million collected from the Lilongwe office.
According to the report, the directorate was supposed to deposit K19.8 million in February, K23.5 million in March, K20.2 million in April, K19 million in May and K23.2 million in June. But the report shows that during the period in question, only K20.4 million was deposited at the end of July.
The report also shows a variation of K4.6 million between the money recorded in the system and what was reconciled by the accounts department during the six-month period.
A similar report from the Blantyre office shows that over $1 million was not deposited at the bank.
The Blantyre office was supposed to deposit as follows: K25.6 million in March, K34.3 million in April, K20 million in May, K22.5 million in June and K23.3 million in July. According to the report, only K2.6 million was deposited in July while K11 million was not deposited from September 22-30, 2004.
ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala said the ACB received complaints, alleging about misuse of public funds at the RTD and that some officials were clearing vehicles corruptly.
“The bureau has instituted investigations into these matters,” said Ndala in response to a questionnaire.
RTD director James Chirwa could not be drawn to comment on the matter, saying it happened before he was appointed to his position. “What I know is that everything was deposited and reconciled during my period,” said Chirwa.
But he confirmed the ACB officials had been making various inquiries at the directorate, although he could not be drawn to mention the issues saying doing so would be unethical. “It will be as if we are trying to defend ourselves,” he said.
Former director of RTD Jomo Mkandawire said in an interview on Thursday it was the duty of the Regional Traffic Officer and accountants to make sure that everything was deposited, reconciled and updated in the system saying this would show that the revenue was deposited. “The variance should be explained and validated why and how they occurred. Failure to do the above would be construed that something was being hidden and regional officers should ensure that such things do not happen,” Mkandawire said.
“Variations should not occur persistently as they are an indication that manipulation is taking place in the system, ” he said.
But regional traffic officer James Kalinde in a separate interview on Thursday pushed the blame on Mkandawire, saying he was collecting the money from the regional office to the headquarters without telling them what the money was used for. “He was sending his officers to collect all the cash during this period and only cheques were being deposited. We have evidence for this because the officers who were collecting the money on his behalf were signing for it,” Kalinde said.
“Mkandawire was collecting the money on a daily basis. It was difficult to refuse because he was the boss,” said Kalinde who could not authenticate his claims.
But Mkandawire disputed the allegations and challenged Kalinde to produce the evidence, saying all his instructions when he was director were in writing and copied to relevant authorities. “I didn’t instruct anybody to collect any money. All my instructions were in writing and let him produce that evidence. These are just claims which can’t be proved. Let him show you the evidence otherwise he is trying to use the media to implicate me,” he said.
Ministry of Finance Secretary for Administration and Finance, Patrick Kabambe said he needed time to crosscheck with Reserve Bank of Malawi whether the money was indeed not being deposited.