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BAT Malawi Limited a few days ago nearly lost K1.3 million to conmen who have been defrauding companies in the name of the K1 billion loan scheme President Bingu wa Mutharika launched recently.
The conmen, names withheld, got arrested on February 25 after they presented a fake bank certified cheque worth K1.3 million to BAT office in Lilongwe, where they wanted to collect cartons of cigarettes, officials confirmed on Friday.
The smartly dressed men claimed to be procurement officers of the K1 billion loan scheme committee and that they had been sent to buy cigarettes on behalf of small-scale business groups that intended to go into cigarette selling. They also had an introductory letter on headed paper bearing names of people like Press Corporation chief executive officer Matthews Chikaonda and former Reserve Bank of Malawi governor, as board members of the loan scheme.
“It is true these people wanted cigarettes worth K1.3 million. They were arrested by fiscal police,” an official who did not want to be identified said, adding they realised the men were conmen after they had checked the validity of the cheque with the bank.
A police prosecutor handling the matter said two of the three men have been granted bail by a Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court and would appear again in court on March 24.
The men are also said to have collected cell phones worth K120,000 from Celtel Malawi Limited and fuel coupons from BP Malawi Limited worth K80,000 by using fake cheques.
“I will not comment on that matter because the company policy does not allow me to speak on such issues,” Central Region sales manager for Celtel, Elias Dziko, said when contacted.
Mutharika launched the K1 billion loan scheme in January to help Malawians start or improve their businesses.
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