The Investigative audit report into the K6.2 billion Covid funds expenditure has lied to Malawians that the Ministry of Information used all the K185 million it received.
The report says the ministry’s usage of Covid funds is 100 percent.
But details have emerged that the ministry has not yet used K35 million which was supposed to be spent on procurement of billboards.
The ministry placed an advert for the billboards on Public Procurement of Declaration of Assets website and only one supplier showed interest. The tender was readvertised and around eight bidders showed interest.
One bidder, Mercantile, sent two bid options thus to get a bid for the entire amount or K28 million.
The ministry received pressure from the responsible Minister to award the contract to Mercantile but procurement committee disqualified the company.
Mercantile company has always been imposed on the Ministry of Information to supply services ranging from printing of newspapers although they do not have a printing machine.
The company was given all publicity works for the inauguration ceremony of president Lazarus Chakwera without any tenders.
