ACB says still no JB, Lutepo CCTV footage
Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said it still has not received the CCTV footage of former president Joyce Banda’s 23 meetings with chief Cashgate suspect, Oswald Lutepo, and other senior People’s Party (PP) members at four different state residences in the country as government claimed.
Government though its spokesman Kondwani Nankhumwa said last week that they handed over the footage to Malawi’s corruption-busting body for forensic examination and further action.
But the bureau has said they have no copies of the CCTV footage.
ACB boss Lucas Kondowe said on Monday, the bureau has no copies of the CCTV footage.
“Not yet with us,” he said, adding that they will “analyse” the evidence if it comes.
The ACB deputy director, Reyneck Matemba also said there is no record of receipt of the CCTV footage or any documents from Nankhumwa.
“We do not have such materials at the bureau,” Matemba stressed.
But Minister of Information Nankhumwa maintained that government handed the CCTV fooage to ACB and also documents that prove that Lutepo booked and attended the meetings with Banda between December 2012 and September 2013.
Banda, through her personal assistant, Andekuche Chanthunya, said the government’s claim about the CCTV footage is a desperate attempt to divert people’s attention away from the worsening economic situation.
He said the Malawi government is determined to implicate Banda, in the scam through various means.
“It’s not strange that Lutepo and other senior PP members had meetings with Banda because Lutepo was an executive member of the party,” Chanthunya said.
He added that the CCTV cameras at all state residences have not been functional for some time until the time Banda left office as Head of State.
“At Kamuzu Palace, for instance, the CCTV cameras stopped working in 2010 during the reign of the late President Bingu wa Mutharika. It is, therefore, surprising for government to claim they have the said CCTV footage,” he said.
Nankhumwa has however dismissed fears that government is on a political witch-hunt against Banda, the country’s first-ever female president, saying they handed the alleged CCTV footage following L utepo’s allegations in the local media that he was used as a conduit to siphon off billions of public funds through dubious deals by the former president.
But Banda argues that the move by government vindicates her fears that some quarters are using Lutepo as “a pawn to drag her name in the mud”.
Lutepo confessed on radio that he was guilty swindling the state, but said he had personally delivered some cash donations to Banda during her term as president for her party campaign.
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Wachuluka ndi umbuli pa malawi and malawian a good listening to lies at the end you will harvest problems and I can forsee and smell hardtimes for malawian ahead.
This DPP govt is taking us no where but down. we need to act fast my fellow Malawi our country will be more worse than it was with Zimbabwe
We want delivery of de manifestal not propaganda.
It would appear the tapes do not exist, and that is why they are taking time to reach ACB offices.
Cameras were apparently not working, so where will the images come from?
Let us wait and see what comes out.
Oh! Anti Corruption Bureau have not received the Joyce Banda, Lutepo CCTV footages, so is Kondwani Nankhumbwa is a liar? I don’t think so. Government don’t lie. May be Nyasa Times guys are lying on this issue.
Its no doubt still at FOX studios for editing and special effects dab!
And now the ACB is shutdown due to a strike over pay. Is it just me or is there a method to this apparent madness? Why should the two main institutions dealing with cashgate cases be paralysed and the Govt not seem to care? Could the paralysis actually be the work of the Govt itself? Are we being sold ‘dogmeat’? I am asking these questions because the procedure for dealing with Courts and ACB salaries when there has been a salary increment in the civil service are clear. Why was the Govt not interested in dealing with these issues at… Read more »
I thought they are on strike? So they are talking as what?
You can not have your cake and eat it.
When you are on strike you do not enter the office, thats my understanding of a strike, so how does ACB give official information?
Akanadziwabe…nanunso kupusa.The two(kondowe&matemba)are senior bosses who ought to know.
Kodi ngati munthu wakhala pakhonde,sangadziwe kuti mnyumba muli alendo?
Management doesn’t go on strike please abale! ACB Director and his deputy should be working full time, strike or no strike
With this level of ignorance displayed by Baba a Boyi, it will take a century for Malawi to reach where Lwanda in now. I feel like disowning my beloved Malawi-mbuli zachuluka and they are dragging Malawi backwards. Ayayayaya!!!!!!!!!
KULIMBANA KUTERO MUGWESA MALAWI PASI.SATILANI BWINO-BWINO ZAMILANDU CHONDE, OSATI IZI WAYAMBAZI INU A DPP, MULAKWISA NAZO. A PRESIDENT OKUWONONGESANI ANTHU ANUWO. KHAYA !!!!!!!!
Chakwera has said that DPP is just obsessed with JB instead of focusing on running the country