BY ELITA NYIRONGO
In a typical of scenario of blatant and shameless theft of public funds, State House has captured Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe as a conduit to steal money from the public purse into private hands, this publication has established with all back-up documents.
President Lazarus Chakwera came to power less than five months ago–promising so many good things including ending theft of public resources and corruption.
But it has been exposed within the State House the gruesome theft by the new administration and at the center of the whole scheme are State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondangaga and Director of Finance Gedion Kalumbu who have connived with one Kiza Aziz Elias–who is posing as an agent hosting three “Israeli security agents” at Crossroads Hotel at the expense of the tax payer.
The Israelis, reveals the source, are purportedly in the country to train Malawi Police Service (MPs) Malawi Defense Force (MDF), National Intelligence Service (NIS) and President Chakwera’s private security detail some finer details for Very Important Persons (VIP) close protection in order to defend the new president.
The Jerusalem security experts have also been to Zimbabwe to train the State operatives. Kiza Aziz Elias–whom the information we have also described as Miguel Elias, has his particulars as follows; born 1st of January 1972, trading as Chitundu Distributers, P O Box 1766, Blantyre.
He has been lodging at Crossroads Hotel with the said “Israelis” from the 5th of July 2020. “The other room is booked in the name of Mr Zora who is a fictitious and non-existence person because Zora is the name of Mr Miguel Elias child in Blantyre.
“The other occupant is Mr Mitha who happens to be Elias mother’s brother, but is nowhere near Crossroads Hotel. And the third person is Mr Eugenia Molera who happens to be the maiden name of his wife. In short, Mr Eugenia Molera does not exist, he is a bogus character,” states in part the information we have.
The source then goes on to reveal that State House is paying a whopping 300 US Dollars, an equivalent of MK240, 000 per room when the real price of a room at Crossroads is at MK77, 000.
“State House is paying for such dubious expenses meaning taxpayers are parting away with $ 1,200 or MK960, 000 per night for the four rooms. The whole thing is a hoax as it is a money-spinning venture for Kapondangaga and Kalumbu who have connived with Kiza Aziz Elias to externalize forex using the hotel hence the decision to charge the rooms in dollars and hike the price by over 300 percent to make quick money,” reveals the source.
According to the information we have, State House has so far spent MK65 million kwacha on these bogus accommodation payments.
“Every week, such invoices are raised and State House parts away with close to MK6.2m and this amount is thus paid in cash to Mr Miguel Elias. Other than the above, every week State House has to part away with close to MK5.1 million meant for car rentals and stipend for per diem.
“From July 5, the proposed training has been shifting goal posts that have not had any bearing on the tax payers’ money. As a consequence of this, Mr Kiza Elias has bought a Range Rover registration number BW9991 at a cost of MK25m. In addition, he bought another Land Cruiser, brown in colour, and a speed boat, all which are being kept at Crossroads Hotel,” said our source.
Kapondangaga, a former Farmers Union of Malawi Chief Executive Officer, is reportedly masterminding all this behind the knowledge of President Lazarus Chakwera.
Other costs Malawians taxpayers are paying include, MK 5.5 million kwacha every week as car rentals and per diems. MK 6.2 million weekly in accommodation which for obvious reasons is paid cash and in dollars.
This publication can confidently reveal that Kiza Elias bought himself a Range Rover registration number BW 9991 at a cool MK25 million kwacha from Holesi Kamoto, a transaction that was sealed on August 20, 2020 using the proceeds from mini cash gate.
Meanwhile, we have also learnt that State House bought 14 laptops at MK4 million each from a company known as Roehampton Barnes in Lilongwe’s Central Business District. We will provide more details on this later.
IS CROSSROADS A CONDUIT OR AN ACCOMPLICE?
Malawians that are aware of this shocking development at State House less than five months in office cannot help but ask themselves why using Crossroads of all the Hotels is he a buying favours from President Lazarus Chakwera?
Is he part of the beneficiary in the loot? Is the money substantial enough to destroy a refutation Crossroads has belt over the years?
As you are trying to find answers to those mindboggling questions, here are the invoices month as kwacha room at State House generated with State House as a issuance of the purchase order dated 13 August 2020 whose guest is only identified as Mr. Zorra whose address is Chitundu Distributors Box 1766 Blantyre.
It is under invoice number 49768 clearly showing State House is paying for a week accommodation at US$300 per night.
You may note the transactions are split into weeks and are paid on an individual basis.
Malawians have all the reason to get worried as since the four arrived in the country it is not clear as to when they will leave Crossroads as Kizza Elias has now bought a boat ready to spend good time at our beautiful lake.
