State House has refused to comment on the Crossroads Hotel saga after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cleared it of wrongdoing, saying the case borders on security.

In October last year, reports emerged indicating that State House ‘hosted’ ghost visitors at Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe in a syndicate meant to defraud the public purse.

Invoices that circulated on social media showed that State House paid the hotel over K50 million in bills and, following public pressure, the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) promised to investigate the matter.
On Tuesday, ACB released a statement clearing State House of any wrongdoing on the matter.

When contacted for comment acting Presidential Press Secretary Anthony Kasunda refused to comment on the matter.

“It is sufficient that this matter has been settled by an independent investigative body as having no trace of wrongdoing.

“As such, the State House does not wish to continue commenting on this issue. Additionally, the issues surrounding this incident are a matter of national security, which by its very nature, cannot be discussed publicly,” said Kasunda.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative (CDEDI) has written a letter to the ACB expressing disappointment with what it calls incomplete investigation.

Among the issues, CDEDI is raising a question on why the graft-busting body never took an interest in why Miguel paid for State House guests.