Cobbe Barracks Soldiers Not Happy With Bribes, Nepotism

Some military officers at Malawi's First Battalion Cobbe Barracks in Zomba have raised complaints over the increased cases of bribery among some officers serving in high rank positions.

The information sourced from some officers indicates that among the cases are the abuse of office, nepotism and bribery.

Sources who spoke on anonymity said the office of a Second from the Commanding Officer (2/IC) headed by Lieutenant Cornell (Lt Co ) Victor Kuyenda administration Unit of Zomba is at the helm of the matter.

The sources said Lt Co Kuyenda is receiving huge sums of money from lower rank officers for sending them to various missions outside Malawi.

The information going around indicates that he previously sent in one of the missions, an officer who work as a driver and mechanical engineer when the sergeant paid money amounting to K250,000 including 4 new wheel tyre's for the vehicle owned by Lt Co Kuyenda.

Sources said the trend has lead to selective when it comes to sending of officers to peace keeping missions as the practice favors only those officers willing to pay their boss.

But when contacted to hear his side, Lt Co Kuyenda confessed to have heard such conversations among some officers.

Lt Co Kuyenda denied the said practice saying it is not what military officers do and he himself has never done it "I have never received bribes from any officer as a return for having sent them to a mission."

"We do not need money from our officers what we need from them when they are to be sent to such missions is their eligibility to work in those missions."

"Officers are selected from various units. In my unit I do select many names of eligible officers for the mission and I send them to the Commander who has a final decision of who is to go or not. For example there can be a UN Mission of more than 800 officers, they can be selected from different units and the number of names that can be selected from one unit or in my unit can be smaller compared to number of officers that I have in my unit."

He therefore said "It is from this background that people think I use that as an opportunity to receive bribes. But let me a sure you that it is against the laws of military to actually receive bribes from officers or doing any sort of misconduct for being on a high rank"

When asked of the information that he has already advised some officers waiting for Contingent number 6 a DRC Mission that they need to be compliant by paying him if they are to go for the mission, Lt Co Kuyenda said "Am indeed sending 5 officers for DRC Mission where MR is sending a Company but I have not given them such word or make any deal with them"

Though Lt Co Kuyenda has expressed strong feeling that officers that are spreading these issues are doing so without necessarily knowing procedures of how an officer is chosen for the Missions, several officers have confirmed that the practice is really happening.