Mabvuto Banda

Over US$12 million (K4.8 billion) is suspected to have been siphoned out from the Ministry of Tourism between July and September 2013 through dubious payouts that have also led to the arrest of two senior officials at the ministry.
During the six-months the Ministry paid out more than K5.8 billion, of which K363 million was paid between April and June 2013 and K5.5 billion was paid between July and September this year.
Of the K5.8 billion that the Ministry paid to various suppliers of goods and services, authorities suspect that K4.8 billion was looted, largely through suspected fraudulent transactions involving 44 private companies.
Of this loot, K4.6 billion was ransacked between July and September this year and the remaining K322 million vanished between April and June 2013.
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau have tagged the payments as suspicious and are currently investigating leading to…