Anti-Corruption Bureau-ACB has another assignment to investigate suspected fraud on the awarding of contracts to two Chinese construction companies namely: China Civil Engineering and China GEO Engineering Corporation.
A local governance institution, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives wants the bureau to investigate the awarding of K5.2 billion to China Civil Engineering Company by the Lilongwe Water Board.
CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa has told journalists in Lilongwe Wednesday morning, they suspect there is a plan to defraud taxpayers’ money.
He alleges the construction company came fourth in a bid of re-allocating pipes along the road where government is constructing a six lane road.
Namiwa says they have also written Transport Minister, Jacob Hara on the same and they are demanding that the Board should halt its intentions of awarding the contract to a contractor who has another project contract worth K19 billion.
According to CDEDI, there were lower bidders on the same including Victory Vision Construction with MWK3.4 billion, Projex Group Ltd with MWK3.6 billion and Malbro International Ltd with MWK4.8 billion.
China GEO Engineering Corporation is being taken to task for the construction contract for the upgrading of the first 42 kilometres of Chikwawa Road to Bitumen standard with CDEDI arguing it is one of the companies blacklisted by the World Bank.
ACB officials as well as Transport Minister are yet to comment on the CDEDI demands.
