Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs, Eisenhower Mkaka has come out public to clear rumours mongering on social media that he has acquired some of his assests via corruption means.
Mkaka who is also the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Mpenu writing on his Facebook page today Tuesday said the rumours are that he has purchased a brand new luxurious Mercedes Benz at 72 million Malawi Kwacha(MKW) out of corruption proceeds, after he learnt the rumours from his friends.
Mkaka said: “For some days now, friends who wish me well have brought to my attention a persistent rumour about me, apparently doing the rounds in political circles. The rumour says I have become corrupt, and that I bought a brand new Mercedes Benz at K72 million for myself out of proceeds of corruption. At first I wanted to ignore it, but I now realize that in politics there is no rumour that is too small to be ignored. So I hereby address this once and for all.”
Mkaka however, said he has indeed bought the Mercedes Benz but it is not a brand new one. He was quick to point out that the vehicle is worthy MKW45 million and not MKW72 million as some quarters have been saying.
Mkaka added that he purchased the vehicle through the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) using a duty-free tax, which every MP is entitled to two vehicles only.
“I was appointed cabinet minister on 8 July 2020. By that time, I had already ordered the car. I ordered the car on 05 July, and on 14 July, I wrote the Malawi Revenue Authority to ask for duty-free clearance (MRA response hereto attached)I declared this car together with all my other assets, to the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declarations,” Mkaka added.
Mkaka therefore, dismissed the corruption allegations in totality, saying he has many ways of how he sources money including one as the MP and that his former employer First Merchant Bank(FMB) compensated him for unlawful dismissal after winning a court case.
He has since challenged those who suspect him of corruption to report to relevant authorities such as the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate him on the same.
On the other hand, Mkaka has also cleared his mansion, which is located in area 47 that it was also one the corruption proceeds. According to him, the house was constructed in 2010, from a loan from the bank (FMB).
He said: “This is my 345 square meter house sitting on Plot number 47/1/320. I built this house in the year 2010 when I was working in the bank (First Merchant Bank now First Capital Bank) using loans and personal savings. As I had to borrow for construction of the house, I needed to have official bills of quantities produced by the banks approved quantity surveyors.”
According to him(Mkaka), the house is worthy 300,000 United States Dollar ($), which is about MKW240 million.
