Kamlepo hits at ACB for inaction in Malawi grand corrpution
Officials from Parliament Accounts Committee have hit at graft busting body, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for its failure to prosecute culprits in the infamous K577 billion ‘cashgate’ —the financial scandal involving looting, theft and corruption at Capital Hill, the seat of Malawi Government.
Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) vice chairman Kamlepo Kalua accused the ACB of working to protect the interests of the seven cabinet ministers and other government officials named in the report.
“ACB should have started the investigations long ago. They have 30 files and names of people and companies involved.
“The National Audit Office even told them to start working on suspects of the K236 billion scam as the Naitional Audit Office completed the other K254 billion. They have the names of the people and companies involved,” said Kalua.
The Auditor General says he was seeking the opinion of the Attorney General on whether to disclose names of those involved in the cashgate or not.
Seven cabinet ministers are reportedly implicated by in parliament Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire said George Chaponda the agriculture minister is on the ‘list of shame’.
Chaponda rejected any link to the cashgate.
Minister of Labour also pleaded innocent to cashgate assertions when he was linked by reports.
In the high-level fraud, millions of dollars of public money were channelled into private accounts through companies that provided the government with bills, but no services.
T he forensic auditors of what was initially the K577 billion Cashgate—now reduced to K236 billion—say are disappointed that government did not curb the grand fraud 11 years after it was noted in 2005 under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) watch.
In its report of a forensic audit of the government of Malawi covering the period January 2009 to December 2014, the auditors said that the 11-year inaction, especially in procurement mischief, lack of follow ups on red flags and poor cashbook reconciliation increase the risk of.
“On a more general note, many of the issues set out above and in the following paragraphs, are not dissimilar to those that have occurred in Malawi since 2005. Thus, it is disappointing to find that, whilst some improvements have been made, many weaknesses still exist.
“This, in turn, gives rise to concerns over the proper stewardship of the funds and the associated regularity of the expenditure, irrespective of whether these funds are generated from within Malawi or are provided by the international donor community,” reads the report in part.
Cashgate came to light when an accounts assistant in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Victor Sithole, was allegedly found with huge amounts of money which was not in line with his monthly income.
The scandal was later compounded by the shooting of the former budget director in the Ministry of Finance Paul Mphwiyo on the night of September 13 2013.
A few days later, a number of civil servants were found with stashes of cash hidden in their car boots without proper documentation on how they got the money.
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WHEN THE JB CASHGATE WAS AT ITS PEAK ONE DR GEORGE CHAPONDA SAID VERY MEMORABLE STATEMENT RIGHT IN PARLIAMENT THAT THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD.
IT IS CLEAR AND LAUGHABLE NOW THAT DR GEORGE CHAPONDA HIMSELF IS PART OF THE ROTTEN HEAD OF THE FISH.
THE BIG ISSUE SURROUNDING CASHGATE TODAY IS THAT CASHGATE ISSUES ARE BEING MANAGED BY THE CASHGATTERS THEMSELVES, WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT AND WHY ON EARTH WAS DPP ALLOWED TO GET BACK INTO GOVT?
If i am not mistaken, When the president was officialy opening khatabay hospital ,he said some thing about suspending those who are found stealing medicines in our public hospitals. Why then is not the same applying in the case of those who have been mentioned in the Mk 236 billion cashgate scandle. Enawo are they above the directive / Law?
Yet both groups are thieves.
The 7 thieving and corrupt cabinet ministers should be peeing in their foul smelling pants now! You can eun but you will not hide forever! If someone is shielding you now, one day that someone will not be there for you and the masses will smoke you out!
These ministers are in the same league with Albino hunters, they deserve life imprisonment with hard labour ostimife tidziwaona mphuno bi kapena nkhope phodeni!!!
Why do we need this tooth less bulLdog in the form of ACB. The auditor general can present the cases itself without the ACB. Auditors are well trained to provide evidence in court.
Peter and his DPP were in the fore front pushing for the release of the names of individuals and companies involved on cashgate during JB tenure of office. JB was reluctant to do so media houses and CSOs too lamented that the then government should release the names or face mass action. JB released the names including those of her party’s top members but now the opinion of the AG who is very dull about law is needed. What is the difference between the cashgate of PP and DPP for them to be treated with different approaches???????????? AG you are… Read more »
Where was Kamlepo when Lutepo and JB were panting with Cash-gate scandal? When JB and company were embroidered in Cash-gate this big mouthed and small brained politician was dead quiet in his cocoon and now he is back with political verbal diarrhea. I have no ears to listen to unashamed partisan politicians like Kamlepo
he Auditor General says he was seeking the opinion of the Attorney General on whether to disclose names of those involved in the cash gate or not. My foot. So the thieves have the previllege of their names being hidden. This is indeed Malawi. Why do we have to be afraid of thieves? Expose their names and if they have a case to answer take them to court to defend themselves.