Khato Civils contract under ACB probe

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has confirmed receiving a complaint on the contract awarded to Khato Civils Limited for the Salima-Lilongwe Water Supply Project which seeks to improve water supply to the capital city.

But the graft-busting body said investigations into the complaint are yet to start.

This will not be the first time for the Salima-Lilongwe water project contract to be in contention as the Malawi Law Society, Youth and Society (YAS) and the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) have unsuccessfully challenged in court the awarding of the contract to Khato Civils.

In a brief response to a questionnaire on the Khato Civils probe, ACB senior public relations officer Egrita Ndala said: “The Anti-Corruption Bureau recorded a complaint regarding the contract which was awarded to Khato Civils. Investigation has not yet commenced.”

Khato Civils unveiled the multibillion kwacha project last year and disclosed that $13 million had already been invested in the project.

Results of the environmental impact assessment survey which MLS and several other bodies demanded are yet to be released.

However, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development has indicated that funding for the project has not been secured yet.

If investigations into the project start, the ACB could be placed in a difficult situation as its immediate past director general Lucas Kondowe is a consultant with Khato Civils on issues of finance, controls, governance, assurance, risk management and strategic planning since January this year.

But LinkedIn shows that Kondowe is working as a consultant on issues of finance, controls, governance, assurance, risk management and strategic planning since October, 2017.

Governance commentator Makhumbo Munthali said it would prove tricky for ACB to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the matter if Kondowe is consulting with Khato Civils.

He said: “While the former ACB director is entitled to consult with any company, the timing and context at which he is linked with an entity under corruption probe [such as] Khato Civils may raise more questions than answers considering that the complaint against Khato Civils contract awarding of the Salima Water project was done during his tenure. This makes ACB’s job rather difficult.”