….issue tender, award and auction in 48 hours
…no auction, mgona goods taken to Area 30
In blazen disregard to all Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets laws, the Malawi Police Service could earn an award for breaking laws at it started to ransack containers belonging to Burundi refugees on Monday morning.
On Monday morning Mgona produce market was the centre of attraction as heavily armed Malawi Police officers with sniffer dogs arrived to do “an auction” whose attendance looked like was for officers only.
The “auction” was advertised on WhatsApp groups contrary to public disposal laws that require public agencies to advertise and auction things after being inspected.
The Investigator Magazine has obtained a copy of Request for Quotations dated Saturday, 26 August, 2023 giving selected Auctioneers 3 days to submit their prices to be considered to dispose the containers in Lilongwe.
“The Malawi Police Service behaves as if it is there to break the law. The impunity in everything is just amazing,” said our source at Area 30 Police headquarters.
Public Disposal law require Governement agencies to advertise any disposal of any confiscated public property and enough time for inspection of goods before the auction.
A stamped RFQ for the winning Auctioneer shows it was for sale of 128 containers which were located in Lilongwes Mgona area and Area 30.
There are some strong suspicions that some of the containers contain cash, and in collision with their owners Police top brass wants to fast track the sale without the public participating so that they can collect commissions from the owners.
The RFQ is said to have been distributed to a few auction companies and The Investigator Magazine managed to get the names of Hena Hela Auctioneers, Conect Auctioneers and Prime Auctioneers.
They recieved the RFQ on Saturday and was supposed to submit the quotations within 24 hours.
The lucky Auctioneer selected at super sonic speed was Hena Hela who were informed to be ready to sale the items by Monday morning.
This is a record speed in disposal of assests history in Malawi and impressive form of Police Services who fail to issue to the public Police or Traffic reports especially weekend.
They, however, were ready to dispose multi million kwacha containers within 48 hours.
The Investigator Magazine representative heard the officers claiming officers from the Anti Corruption Bureau were among them. We only identified Police CID officers.
The Auctioneer was left confused as there was no bidding, instead containers were emptied and contents driven to Area 30 Police Headquarters.
At the Police Headquarters there was no further auction and The Investigator Magazine left officers still unpacking the loads around 6pm.
