Kalonga convicted after pleading ‘guilty’ to K3.7bn cashgate: Implicates Mphwiyo

Former chief tourism officer Leonard Karonga has pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering related to cashgate scandal and has implicated former budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Kalonga: Guilty as charged and convicted
Kalonga: Guilty as charged and convicted

Lilongwe High Court Judge, Justice Fiona Mwale has since convicted him.

In his plea after admitting to defrauding government about K3.7 billion, Kalonga told the court that Mphwiyo told him that the money which was being defrauded from government was for campaign of former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party.

Initially, Kalonga denied charges of theft and money laundering involving K105.9 million which he allegedly stole from the ministry between July and October 2013.

But private practice lawyer Joseph Kamkwasi, representing Kalonga, said his client had pleaded guilty to this money laundering charge of K3.7 billion “not to waste court’s time.”

Karonga was first arrested on October 17 2013 by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly conniving with different people to defraud government.

He was charged with money laundering and theft by public servant.

Kalonga told the court that Mphwiyo had told him and others allegedly involved in the cashgate that Banda wanted to use the stolen money for campaign.

He also told the court that convicted cashgate businessperson Oswald Lutepo, in his presence, once assured the former president in a phone conversation that they were going to find money for campaign.

Kalonga said the phone conversation was in such a way that he could hear what was being said between Lutepo and the other person he believed was the former president.

Banda has vehemently denied the accusations as a smear campaign for cashgate convicts to get amnesty by implicating her for political reasons.

Her spokesperson Andekuche Chanthunya blamed political enemies for using Lutepo as a political pawn to drag Banda into the muck so as to damage her reputation as a citizen of Malawi, wife, mother, politician and philanthropist.

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peter mshali ku salima
peter mshali ku salima
8 years ago

i repeat,cashgate defines the injection of funds by govt into private sector to b vibrant in terms of national development,the problem JB anawulula chinsisi cha boma ,results company closed,jobless pple etc,

Kazimvelele
Kazimvelele
8 years ago

Like Seriously what’s the government doing up to dis tym?? Munadya nawo ndramazo chilungamo sichizapezeka mpaka my 1yr old dota azabala ana anzamke musamatikwanepo…..mbava zopanda kaliya kkk

Telling the Truth
Telling the Truth
8 years ago

When a person approaches you kuti amwene mukabe ndalama ndipo ine mundipatsa mwakuti inu mutenga zotsalazo ndiye iwe ubvomela ndikukabadi ndiye kuti you are a thief.Kalonga, Lutepo etc are thieves. Ndi akuba basi. For them to say anatumidwa is bulshit. Ine sindingabvomele kuti ndikabe. It is Peter Mutharika’s hatred of JB that is making govt treat these thieves with kid gloves. These are pure thieves. DPP is desperately trying to hide K577bn fraud under the late dictator Bingu wa Mutharika.

nganga
nganga
8 years ago

Comment 104 Mr. Okay, you are dull and stupid! Where is MCP mentioned here! If you were shared the loot please dont comment here.

Okay?
Okay?
8 years ago

Some allude to the fact that MCP can mop up the mess. What a farce? Have you forgotten that Abusa amadya ku State House ndi JB? Why did JB favour Abusa when she new she would nose dive? School ndiyathandiza zedi. Moti enanu simukuona kuti this umbava is cancerous in Malawians? Muwafunse akhristu a Abusawo mmene mbusayo anawombera ma million ali president wa mpingo.

BigMan
BigMan
8 years ago

Chickens coming home to roost.

Phwado
8 years ago

A Z. Allan Ntata mukumva bwanji mthupi pa za Mphwiyo?Pajatu mumati he is innocent.Kkkkkkkkkkk.

Ndanena
Ndanena
8 years ago

The sentence that is being produced by the Lawyers in our courts that “my client did not waste courts time so please give him/her lenient punishment” doesn’t really the Lawyer himself rather from a High Court Judge after they meet privately and give him the judge CHITHUMBA CHA NDALAMA and there after causing strike ife tikufuna PRADO!!!!!! This is Malawi BABA.

Malawi
Malawi
8 years ago

Bola Kamuzu timkati ndi wa nkhaza koma amatukula dziko. Those who took over basitu, I think this cashgate started with Muluzi Leadership, Pano zalowa mpikisano kuti ati abe zambiri ndi ndani? But so far DPP is still in the lead when it comes to plundering govt coffers. By 2019 only God know, I predict their cashgate bill to be in Trillions. Ntata you have more research to do now with these allergations. Mphwiyo was playing it smart. Its amazing how the sp called Ndalama za campain zimathela kumanga nyumba. If that was the case how much were these guys stealing.… Read more »

mulamu pelekani@gmail.com

No one could be rich in two years JB had been a president if they did not start before Banda. If you people look behind you will see that all cash gaters were rich during Bingu some before DDP. Dont forget all these people were in three government UDF, DDP, PP. Banda reviewed that there were theft in DDP and she said she knows. How? She was a VP in PP. When she took over she just took over theft which was there and continue. She also toon all the thieves and that costed her votes. Donors are not stupid.… Read more »

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