Deal gone sour? Mphwiyo gave Kasambara cash day he was shot: Malawi cashgate

This is getting interesting!  The shooting of former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo has always been feared to have been a result of a corrupt deal turned sour and the ongoing trial is bringing some interesting information lending credence to that with the latest being lawyer Ralph Kasambara’s ex-domestic worker revealing her former boss and gun-shot survivor met on the day Mphwiyo was shot.

Kasambara: At the centre of unsuccessful plot to murder Mphwiyo
Kasambara: At the centre of unsuccessful plot to murder Mphwiyo

It is believed Mphwiyo was about to expose a corruption syndicate, and in the wake of his attempted murder, police raids targeting several high-level officials uncovered wads of cash hidden in their cars and homes.

Jesse Mussa Kafuwe, who worked as a domestic worker at Kasambara’s residence in Lilongwe, told the High Court in Lilongwe when she testified as prosecution witness that Mphwiyo and the former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs at the time, exchanged bags during their meeting.

She also told the court that Kasambara drove out with Pika Manondo on the evening in a Mercedes Benz which in the morning was found parked in an unusual space behind the servants’ quarters at the senior counsel’s residence.

Kafuwa told the court that, Patrick Gada who she described as a friend to Kasambara, asked her to keep registration plates of the vehicle outside the house

The witness told the court that she saw Mphwiyo, who was identified to him by Kasambara’s wife later, bringing out a bag which he later took back to the vehicle but without its contents.

“I later found a bag in their [Kasambaras’] bedroom as I was cleaning which was out of place, I tried to put it back but it was too heavy. When I opened to check why it was heavy, I found there was money. I did not count because it seemed like a lot of money,” she testified.

After she was sacked, Kasambara’s wife allegedly warned Kafuwe by telephone not to say anything about the happenings at the Kasambara residence, especially about number plates of the Mercedes Benz and Kasambara’s  connection to the Mphwiyo shooting.

Kasambara is representing himself in answering charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder alongside Kumwembe who Mphwiyo identified as the shooter, DaukaManondo, PikaManondo, Robert Kadzuwa and businessperson Cashgate suspect Osward Lutepo.

Mphwiyo had identified Kasambara and Manondo as two of the five people who approached him at the gate of his Area 43 house before a man,  identified as Macdonald Kumwembe, fired shots at him.

He told the court, presided over by Justice Michael Mtambo, that Kasambara and others had given him “ten days to live” unless he honoured certain government payments.

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pijo
pijo
9 years ago

It is pathetic for any sane malawian to assume that you have workers in the house and they don’t know you inside out. They do. They know all your underwear and anything you claim to be hiding. If you think am lying go and hide any small thing anywhere even under the bed and three days later tell your maid you are looking for it. I guarantee you she will find it in a few minutes obviously because she had seen it even before you were looking for it. So let’s be Frank here…the maid clearly has motives but she… Read more »

mjiba
mjiba
9 years ago

the maid is bringing in good information which should have tipped the investigators what and how to go about their investigations, but as we all observed, it took almost 3 solid months to get to Kasambara that was a shame to this whole case, the car that Paul claims to have been shot in, is no where to be seen, this case from the beginning was being stage managed to fail by both the prosecutions and the accused persons, the end result was to shield the whole truth about CASHGATE.

Arthur G.M. Mtambo
9 years ago

MPHWIYO MIGHT BE INTERESTING ———-HERE IT SHOWS HE WAS ATTACKED BY OTHER PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIS MOVEMENT REGARDING THE MONEY SHARING ON THAT PARTLY DAY. COURT LOOK THIS.

chimuponho
chimuponho
9 years ago

you have provoke unprovokable.ndikunyenyaninyenyani ndithu

Ralph's friend
Ralph's friend
9 years ago

I can see Ralph in some of the comments here and I know he has recruited some of his partners in crimes to help give him positive publicity and media and moral support. But it won’t work, cunning as you might be. Malawi is ranked the poorest coz of you guys and mayI Joyce Banda. You must face the law

kwataine
9 years ago

Amangidwe basi!!!! Kuba!!! Onse ndi mphwiyo yemwe!!!

me
me
9 years ago

Mr Eye witness, if Ralph asks Mphwiyo whether he visited him on that fateful day and Mphwiyo declines, why should the judge believe the statement from Mphwiyo (a crime suspect in cashgate) and discredit the maid’s version which can easily be verified through call logs? Obviously Mphwiyo has some interests and would deny visiting Ralph if he knows/fears that accepting that he visited Ralph would incriminate him. I am not a lawyer but I think this is clear!

Boyd Kilembey
Boyd Kilembey
9 years ago

Dont confuse the case you good people. This is the attempted murder case on Mphwiyos life. It is not the cashgate case

peter
peter
9 years ago

My intuition tells me this evidence given by the maid may be true. However, if there is any doubt, let the state and defence get transcript of the conversation between the maid and Ralph’s wife from the telecommunication company. Nanga zimenezo zikhala za bodza? Kapena a ralph awopa kuti ziwulura zina?

sunderstar
sunderstar
9 years ago

I find the writing of EYE WITNESS against the maid to be very threatening and coming from a Lawyer, this country is under siege, we have crooked lawyers who can commit felony at will and be confident of threatening and intimidating witnesses in court and get away with it. I dont know why up to now Kasambara is being allowed to practice and continue abusing the Judiciary instruments and do it to his benefit. This maid is simply explaining what she saw and what happened,, it is of no point to threaten and confuse her. Now with the statement by… Read more »

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