The Army Commander of the Malawi Defense Force (MDF), General PV Phiri, is at the center of a financial scandal involving K38,531,270 (Thirty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Kwacha) allegedly obtained through abuse of power on April 20, 2021.
Reports suggest that while serving as Major General, Phiri coerced an accountant into authorizing the payment by adding his name and that of another officer to the list of Overseas Training Allowance Arrears for MDF officers and staff.
Details from the payment voucher reveal the following allocations:
• K10,260,000 for “Maintenance of Buildings.”
• K22,811,270 for “Foreign Training.”
• An additional K5,460,000 to another officer.
Phiri is also accused of drafting a letter requesting the payment of all outstanding arrears, falsely presenting the voucher as an updated list of legitimate claims.
Despite the substantial evidence against him, authorities, including the police, have taken no action to date. This has raised concerns over accountability and the potential lack of justice for such a serious breach of public trust.