Worker accuses Airport Development Limited boss

Tom Sangala June 3, 2017

484 2 minutes read

Airport Development Limited (ADL) Executive Director Rodrick Chattaika has siphoned money worth K1.4 million from the government agency to his own personal company called Baileys Investments which manufactures bottled water Awa ndo Madzi, a man who worked for his company has alleged.

Alex Webster Corner, who has been working with Chattaika as a consultant but also own his own company called Group Afrique Water and Sanitation Solutions, told Malawi News that Chattaika instructed him to issue an invoice from his company to ADL worth K1.6 million with a discount of K200,000.

Chattaika has denied involvement and insisted that Corner is “ mentally disturbed.”

But according to Corner, Chattaika advised him to issue the invoice— titled ‘Anti hill Elimination Chemical’ through email to jmunthali@adlmw.com for materials he did not supply to ADL— on March 20 2017.

“He was my boss and I did as he had requested me. I sent the email from my personal company email. I did not get any response indicating receipt of the email but on April 18 2017 Chattaika brought the cheque worth K1.4 million to my office. The cheque was issued to my company name from ADL National Bank Capital City account for a supply that I did not make,” he said.

Corner said he banked the cheque on the same day to his personal company account at FDH Bank in Limbe.

“I was instructed to cash the money and start paying for materials for his bottled water company. I was told to take K250, 000 and pay OG Limited, manufactures of bottles, but I gave Chattaika the money in cash. He is the one who made the payment. K100,000 was paid to Polypack for Shrink Wrap which is used to make crates for bottled water. K100,000 cash was paid to Total Filling Station in Limbe.

“He further instructed me to pay Osman Foods K800,000 for Barcode that is placed on the bottles for it to be eligible to be sold in the big supermarkets. K50,000 was paid for Braai stands and the remaining K100,000 was paid for labels for the Awa ndo Madzi,” Corner said.

Corner alleged that when he started to question the transaction of the K1.4 million for materials his company did not supply to ADL, Chattaika threatened to implicate him in dubious acts and get him arrested.

“I did not give up or fear him on the matter as I had documents to support my case. Then, on May 3 2017, I received a letter of suspension with immediate effect without pay,” he said.

The letter which Malawi News has seen cites failure to account for some of the money for the business transaction, dishonesty, lying to superiors on some of the transactions Corner is purported to have done for the business as reasons for his suspension.

“You are therefore suspended without pay with immediate effect [you are] requested to surrender business property immediately and [are] asked not to access the business premises and the house you were staying [in] and not to remove any of your items from the business premises and house. You are further requested to submit a report on the above grounds within 14 days of this letter before appearing for a disciplinary hearing,” reads the letter.

But, in an interview, Chattaika denied the allegations and accused Corner of being mentally challenged.

“The gentleman actually store money from my business. If you met him in person you would learn the state of the person. The cheque you have seen was a payment to his private business for work that he did with ADL. You can talk to his uncle and he will confirm to you that he is mentally challenged,” Chattaika said.

However, the uncle to Corner, Andrew Chikho, denied the accusations that his nephew is mentally challenged.

Corner reported the issue to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) last week.

ACB Deputy Director Reyneck Matemba confirmed the bureau has received a complaint about the matter.