Editors PickNational News

Cashgate prolongs vehicle ownership change process

Chirwa: The period is indeed longer
Chirwa: The period is indeed longer

Investigations into wealth accumulated from the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill dubbed Cashgate have led to delays in authorities processing vehicle ownership changes besides negatively affecting the business of local motor vehicle dealers, it has been learnt.

The Nation can report that since March this year when the graft-busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), wrote the Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services, formerly Road Traffic Directorate, to start forwarding all applications on vehicle ownership to the bureau for vetting, the process has been cumbersome.

The move came as government, still reeling from the impact of the K13 billion theft of public resources, attempted to recoup some stolen public funds while also using suspected property as evidence for prosecution.

Road Traffic and Safety Services director James Chirwa confirmed in an interview yesterday that the move has led to delays, but said the process was necessary as it was aiding investigations.

Said Chirwa: “The observation that the period is longer now is correct. We used to process all the applications internally, but currently we are forwarding the applications to ACB for vetting first and that has added the number of days the process takes.”

He said the process was taking weeks instead of days due to the change, but dismissed that the process was taking up to four months before finalisation.

“We can do better with more resources, but some of the challenges we are trying to encounter include upgrading the network here so that we can improve our speed. However, sometimes the delays are caused by poor documentation and other factors,” said Chirwa.

One of the used car dealers in Lilongwe, who opted for anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the move has inconvenienced their businesses greatly.

Last year, former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Fahad Assani announced in Parliament that government would be profiling property, including houses and vehicles, of several civil servants for possible forfeiture if found to have been proceeds of Cashgate—a K13 billion embezzlement of public resources by businesspersons, politicians and civil servants.

Related Articles

Back to top button