Head of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) Nicholas Dausi has, for a year now, been orchestrating and funding poachers at Nyika National Park who shoot-to-kill elephants for ivory, Nyasa Times can reveal.
Dausi, a long time politician who served under President Kamuzu Banda’s government in several capacities as his collaborator and was accused of withholding information on atrocities committed during the dictatorship, is said to be using his office to manoeuvre through at Nyika untouched.
We have information that Dausi uses the services of his wife’s relations – near the Park – to get into the protected area and kill the elephants for ivory for selling in the Mainland Republic of China.
Dausi’s wife, a Nyausowoya, comes from Hewe in Rumphi district – about fifty kilometres from Nyika National Park.
An insider at NIB told Nyasa Times that Dausi “is using the relatives of his wife to kill elephants at Nyika” and that “at times” through “use of government guns.”
Dausi, we have learnt palm oils the poachers through an NIB officer who is stationed at Rumphi Boma. He is, also, said to be using his driver, a Mr. Mussa, for his “ivory errands” plus several others including the ongoing construction of his two houses in Lilongwe and Mwanza.
“The officer does not know that the money he receives from Dausi is payment for the poaching that is happening at Nyika. All he thinks is that his boss is simply supporting his extended family,” said our source.
The government chief spy reportedly travelled to Nyika on December 22. From Lilongwe to Mzuzu he used a government vehicle, a TX Prado registration number BR 6501.
But when travelling to Rumphi from Mzuzu, Dausi changed number plates and came back from Rumphi the very same day – but late at night.
According to our source, “Dausi’s markets are in China” and “he is dealing with a lot of Chinese businesses in Malawi.”
Asked why Dausi was not being reported to relevant authorities when they had enough evidence to nail him down, our source said “there is nothing” they could do.
Said our source: “The last desk to report to on issues like these, according to our hierarchy, is Dausi’s. Even if we reported, there is no way action can be taken on the matter.”
The source claimed that the syndicate was not a one man show, arguing that “several senior officers at State House know about the scam.”
But, the source said, it seemed “President [Peter] Mutharika is kept in the dark.”
When asked to comment on the allegations, Dausi could neither confirm nor deny.
“I don’t have to comment anything. There is no need for you to ask whether it is true or not. Just go ahead and write,” Dausi told this reporter in a telephone interview.
He said no matter how much hate-talk was published about him only truth would set him free.
“This is a civilized society, and your kind of journalism is one that must be encouraged because it brings to the fore the inconsistencies in our societies,” he said cutting the line.
But after about six minutes Dausi called again and asked: “Is it because I am married from Rumphi that people are accusing me of this?”
This reporter said it was an already known fact to him, and insisted on that he comment on the issue at hand. Dausi did not.
This is not the first time that Dausi’s name is appearing in media for nasty doings.
Last year some people calling themselves “concerned citizens” published an article that highlighted Dausi’s abuse of office at NIB.
They claimed that Dausi was “fond of abusing funds meant for the smooth running of the public institution [NIB].”
Ivory trade is the commercial often illegal trade in the ivory tusks of the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, mammoth and most commonly Asian and African elephants.
Ivory has been traded for hundreds of years by people in such regions as Greenland, Alaska and Siberia. The trade, in more recent times, has led to endangerment of species, resulting in restrictions and bans.