MBC ‘fires’ corporate secretary over K14m
Taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has sent on “forced leave” its director of administration and corporate secretary Daniel Kalaya pending expiry of his contract at the end of this month.
The development follows the outcome of investigations MBC instituted into allegations that Kalaya’s private law firm, Liberty Legal Consultants, collected K14 million on behalf of the public broadcaster without management’s authority.
During its meeting on November 16 2015, MBC board of directors resolved not to renew Kalaya’s contract citing that he “didn’t conduct himself in an orderly manner and according to the laid down conditions of service.”
While confirming the meeting and the verdict, MBC board chairperson Moffat Banda declined to divulge details of the decision yesterday.
He said: “It is true the board met and came up with a final verdict following investigations that were instituted but I am not obliged to divulge what we agreed because it is a confidential matter concerning an employee.”
Yesterday, Kalaya, who had been on suspension since October 5 2015, asked The Nation to call him later. However, he did not pick up our subsequent calls after several attempts.
A source privy to the board told The Nation yesterday, the board agreed not to renew Kalaya’s contract and send him on forced leave.
On the allegations, MBC observed that Liberty Legal Consultants had no prior instructions from MBC director general and/or management to collect the money in question.
MBC claimed that Roof House made payments to the legal firm on July 30 2015, August 17 2015 and August 30 2015 yet it was only informed of the payments on September 18 2015 after an impromptu management meeting.
In an earlier interview with our sister newspaper, Weekend Nation, Kalaya expressed surprise with the allegations saying he engaged the law firm with MBC management’s knowledge.
He admitted to have registered the law firm, but said he was not the one running the daily operations of the company.
