Ombudsman orders passport contracts audit

The Office of the Ombudsman has recommended a forensic audit into the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services operations after an investigation established repeated failures in passport procurement that have cost taxpayers billions of kwacha.

Presenting the findings in Lilongwe yesterday, Ombudsman Grace Malera said the department engaged three passport printing service providers within five years, with successive contract terminations proving costly to government.

“The Immigration Department had engaged three passport printing service providers within four to five years at a combined value running into tens of millions of United States dollars, with successive termination of contracts at the expense of the taxpayer,” she said.

The report recommends a forensic audit of contracts awarded to Techno Brain Global FZE, E-Tech Systems and Madras Security Printers Private Limited to determine whether procurement irregularities occurred and establish the full financial and operational impact.

According to the report, Techno Brain was awarded a three-year contract worth $64.8 million in March 2019 with an additional six-month installation period, to modernise the passport issuance system and introduce e-passports.

The contract was terminated in December 2021 following legal advice from the Attorney General’s office, despite the department reporting that the new system had reduced passport processing time from 40 working days to 10.

Following a ransomware attack that crippled the passport system on January 18 2024, the department awarded E-Tech Systems a six-month contract worth $890 000 through single sourcing under an expedited process approved within hours after presidential directives.

However, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority later ruled that the procurement breached the PPDA Act because it was processed retrospectively.

The contract was terminated on May 19 2025 after the company continued providing services beyond the original contract period without a formal extension.

The latest contractor, India’s Madras Security Printers Private Limited, was awarded a five-year contract valued at about $29 million in February 2025 to design, supply, install and commission a new passport issuance system.

Responding to the findings, Ministry of Homeland Security director of administration Bob Chalira said government had accepted the report and would implement its recommendations.

Immigration Department director general Dennis Chipao described the report as exhaustive and pledged to implement its recommendations, while noting progress made through decentralised passport printing, online visa applications and improvements to payment systems.

On his part, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira said the report pointed to systemic corruption, weak governance and impunity that had undermined service delivery and compromised national security.

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