People of Neno are demanding the removal of their District Commissioner Memory Kaleso following alleged high levels of corrupt practices at Neno District council.
This follows reports raised by some group village headmen of TA Chekucheku who were planning to meet State President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika through the ministry of Local Government to raise their concerns.
According to John Kasese who is one of the group village head men in Neno, some of the concerns being raised are about the Shire River Basin Project Cheque amounting to K109 million which was aiming at fighting deforestation in the area and that story appeared in one of the daily papers, The Nation dated 19 November 2015.
People also claim that they were promised that they will be given loans and trees under the project but up to date nothing has been done and they have since asked the involvement of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate the matter.
Another concern is that of drug theft which was foiled by the police at Zalewa road block in 2015 where 11 cartons of drugs allegedly to have been stolen at Neno District council were confiscated. It is reported that up to date no follow up has been made over the issue.
“We demand an explanation on how K9 million from Dalitso Community Based Organization (CBO) owned by Stranger Moffat Joliji Chekucheku was used, the money was funded by Action Aid. There is allegation that the money was used to mobilise people in order to remove T/A Chekucheku, during that time the DC was Lawford Palani,” said Group Village headman Kasese.
It is said that Partners in Health Organization bought air tickets to America for the current DC Memory Kalaso and Lawford Palani as a way of thanking them for their noble course to remove T/A Chekucheku.
Kasese also said that the former DC Lawford Plalani built four houses two at the entrance of Chiwale Secondary School, one in Balaka near the railway line off to Blantyre and one in Dedza District with money stolen from government.
It is also alleged that during the may 2014 tripartite elections Palani deliberately connived with some people to pretend as if the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) wanted to rig the elections just to gain political favors from government officials during that time he was DC at Dedza district.
According to Kasese Palani wanted to elevate group village head man Donda to sub T/A to safeguard his two houses at Neno.
“Motal Engil and the Valley came at the DC where they agreed to build a bridge where there was an old road this was never done, instead the company bought luxurious vehicles for the Traditional Leaders worth 27 million kwacha each to silence them upon failure to construct the bridges,” said the chief.
It has been discovered that attempts to remove T/A Chekucheku which have been happening for some time up to date are because he is against the malpractices that are happening at Neno district council and it is believed that Palani is behind all corrupt issues.
Attempts to speak accused persons proved futile as they could not be reached on their mobile phones.
