ACB intensifies probe on Tembo

Source: Nation Malawi

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has stepped up investigations into allegations that Leader of Opposition John Tembo has been abusing his position by drawing fuel, accommodation and allowances from the National Assembly for non-parliamentary activities.

Some senior officials at Parliament’s accounts department said as a follow-up to an earlier interrogation of the MCP president, ACB officials went to the secretariat looking for documents relating to Tembo’s trip to Mzuzu, Blantyre and another trip to South Africa in 2006 following a letter from a whistle blower who wants the MCP leader also investigated on these transactions.

However, Malawi Congress Party administrative secretary Potiphar Chidaya on Thursday wondered why some people want Tembo, who he said enjoys the same status as a minister, investigated on issues of money which is duly allocated to his office through Parliament.

"The investigation took a new twist following a letter which said Hon Tembo should be investigated on other trips he made locally and this why the ACB officials who came here took documents in relation to some local trips funded by Parliament," said the source.

"These documents are for some domestic trips JZU made to Mzuzu and Blantyre which the letter says should be investigated. The payments were for fuel, allowances and hotel accommodation and ACB was also asked to scrutinise all payments made in favour of the Leader of Opposition or his agents during the absence of the Clerk of Parliament," added the source.

In the letter, the whistle blower alleges that Tembo requested funds for fuel, accommodation and allowances from the National Assembly in the guise of Parliament business when he was allegedly was going to Mzuzu and Blantyre to conduct political rallies.

"The thing is that as Leader of Opposition, he is not entitled to more fuel because that is already pegged to his salary. Parliament business is supposed to be instigated by the Speaker but this was not the case," alleged a source.

Another source in the secretariat’s administration department, who also confirmed the coming of ACB officers, said it was surprising that a person lodged a complaint on Tembo’s drawing of fuel and other resources when the office of the Leader of Opposition has a budgetary allocation in the national budget.

"What should be stated is that it is difficult to isolate whether one is drawing money for party activities or parliamentary activities because the office of the Leader of Opposition has a sub budget which is released by Treasury and the same happens with ministers and even the President.

"Has anyone asked ministers if the fuel they use when they go to address political party meetings is from their pockets or from their offices? We know who is behind all this and the intentions but that person will not succeed because we still don’t see any anomaly," said the source.

But asked on all these allegations levelled against him in a questionnaire, Tembo said: "I have seen the questionnaire and since the issue you are raising is a responsibility of other people and not you, I have nothing to say. You can tell the person who is sending you that my reaction is that the Principals have every right to contact me not through you."

MCP Administrative Secretary Potiphar Chidaya, who writes Parliament for the MCP leader’s funding, said on Thursday Tembo’s office was surprised that despite following procedures of accessing money as an entitlement, they were attracting the wrath of the law.

"The office of the Leader of Opposition is funded the same way like any other government department but we are under Parliament, so we write a letter through Parliament outlining the activities and how many people will accompany him," he said.

"But we are surprised that when we are given money, we find ourselves in problems. We are disturbed with what is happening because his status is like a minister and the ministers use a ministerial vehicle but when it is us, it becomes a case. But he is entitled to that funding," he added.

The administrative secretary said although Tembo usually uses his personal money on political tours, within the funding to his office, there is provision for internal travels "because as a government in waiting, he consults traditional leaders on what they expect from the ruling leaders even when he goes to conduct party meetings."

"We are surprised that somebody wants ACB to investigate that. The office is given money for fuel and other things. I don’t know what we should be doing with that funding," said Chidaya who also disclosed that he was summoned by the ACB.

Parliament Public Relations Officer Leonard Mengezi declined to comment on the issue on Friday.

The ACB did not respond to a questionnaire which was sent to them on Tuesday.

ACB launched preliminary inquiries into allegations that Tembo drew money from Parliament when he travelled to a South African hospital with his sick wife. ACB wanted to establish if there was any wrong doing before launching a full investigation into the allegation.

Tembo was summoned to the bureau in Lilongwe on August 6, 2008 but the outcome of the preliminary investigations is not yet out and sources at Parliament indicated in the week that ACB officials were at the secretariat collecting more documents in relation to the LOP’s movements.

The allegations were that Tembo requested funding for his trip to South Africa where he was purportedly consulting with political party leaders in that country but returned the money on arrival, saying he had to change the purpose of the trip following his wife’s illness.

ACB already interviewed Speaker of the National Assembly Louis Chimango to get his side of the transaction in which Parliament gave Tembo K674,204.78 in allowances and an air ticket amounting to K187,446 which he showed journalists on his return that he did not use