Four senior officials at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs have pleaded not guilty to charges of abuse of office and theft.

The four Fyaupi Mwafongo, Moses Chimphepo, Chrissy Ajawa and James Chiusiwa appeared before Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa in Lilongwe to answer a charge of abuse of office and theft by a person employed in public service.

On the abuse of office, the four are alleged to have authorized payment for subsistence allowance and lunch allowance at Linde Motel in Mponela which saw the department losing money amounting to K413 000.

On the charge of theft, the suspects are accused to have received lunch allowances for two days totaling to K56 000 and failed to account for the same to government.