By Isaac Salima & Pemphero Malimba:
Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has insisted that government followed all procurement processes when engaging E-Tech as the new passport printing system provider.
Chakaka Nyirenda said in an interview that government went for a single source, which is applicable in procurement laws, because it was getting the services from a manufacturer.
His sentiments have come at a time opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has demanded that the AG should furnish Malawians with information regarding the awarding of the contract.
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“We had several situations, like where some people were going for further studies, some for medical attention, important business and the like, and that necessitated emergency procurement,” the AG said.
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Chakaka Nyirenda also clarified that E-Tech are not printers of passports but that they just came up with a solution that would help in the resumption of the printing process and to recover lost data.
He said several proposals were submitted from firms which were interested in providing solutions to the passport printing crisis with some asking for upfront payment.
According to the AG, E-Tech, which charged K800 million for the task, was deemed a fair company and got the contract.
In a statement released Monday, DPP claimed it understood that E-Tech is connected to some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members and that it has no capacity to supply passports.
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“The clandestine manner in which the procurement process was carried out, if indeed there was any procurement process at all, is a stark reminder that the regime has no regard for rule of law,” the statement signed by the party’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba says.
Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu said government has no problem with sharing the information with Malawians and that responsible ministries and departments are ready for the same.
Kunkuyu quashed suggestions that E-Tech is linked to MCP members, saying the company was picked based on its capabilities and that it has already started issuing passports.
Earlier this year, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (Dics) stopped issuing passports due to what it described as technical glitches.
The Daily Times later learnt that the printing system had been hacked.
Dics dismissed the reports before President Lazarus Chakwera later told Parliament that “digital mercenaries” had infiltrated the system and that they were demanding a ransom of K2 billion.
The department resumed issuing passports mid last month after the compromised system had reportedly been salvaged.
