BLANTYRE--Malawi’s Agricultural Development and Market Corporation (Admarc) has suspended three employees on suspicion that they defrauded the organization of K5.7 million through inflated wages for casual labourers. 

A source within the organization Thursday told The Nation, a daily paper, an internal audit exposed the K5.7 million fraud at the Admarc’s Southern Regional Offices.

The source said between March 2010 and April 2011, the three employees, Awirindiwo Kananji (Wages Clerk), Stewart Ngundende (Regional Accoutant) and Blazio Namulewa connived to prepare wages for ghost workers besides producing duplicate inflated wages report every month with which they used to draw extra cash.

“When the auditors did their investigation, it was confirmed that the three officers had embezzled money amounting close to K5.7 million over the said period but no action was taken on them,” the source is quoted as saying.

The period the crime is suspected to have occurred, the regional office wage bill had increased by average of K400 000 per month which enable the general ledger less than the actual cash being disbursed for wages and unable to balance, according to the paper.

Admarc Public Relations Agnes Chikoko confirmed the development saying the matter is being handled by their internal disciplinary committee.

“The members involved are on suspension to pave the way for further investigation. Therefore, there should be no fear of information being destroyed,” said Chikoko downplaying reports that all printed reports and files were erased in the computers.

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(c) The Maravi Post 2012. Reproduction without acknowledgement prohibited 

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