Free for all! President Lazarus Chakwera’s Press Secretary Brain Banda has been embroiled in a corruption scandal where he got millions of kwachas from Indian businessmen in exchange for favours in a Marep project.
We can reveal that Banda got more than K20 million from some Indian businessmen who wanted to have their business premises electrified in the outskirts of Chileka in Blantyre.
Insiders said president Chakwera has been made aware of the scandal and is yet to make a decision.
A source said when the Indian businessmen approached Banda for help, he knew it would take long if they were to go through Escom and decided to use Marep.
“He called people at Marep to connect the Indians saying the President had directed so but this raised some suspicion at Marep as the area that Banda was talking about was not among the priority areas of the project and decided to cross check with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).”
“It was people at OPC who raised the flag and when they checked with the President, it was found that he never gave that order. So we are waiting what decision the President will make,” explained the source.
This is not the first time for Banda to be involved in corruption shenanigans. He was fired at Times Group for soliciting bribes but was called back following public outcry.
During former president Joyce Banda’s reign when he was one of the presidential press offers, Banda was also involved in a K5 million scam from National Aids Commission after telling management that then president had authorized that NAC gives him the money for some communication project.
