Kasambara, Kita deny role in Mphwiyo shooting saga

Malawi’s Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara and lawyer Wapona Kita have dismissed as lies and described as defamatory allegations that have gone viral in the social media on their alleged involvement in matters relating to the shooting of Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo.

Kasambara dismissed the allegations as work and machinations of people who do not wish him
well and are only trying to tarnish his reputation for their personal reasons.

The Justice Minister told Malawi News  on Saturday September 21 that the allegations flying around are not factual and cited as an example the naming of one Pika Manondo as his aide when in fact he is Mphwiyo’ s close friend.

“I have a political assistant and his name is Patrick Gadama,” Kasambara told the weekly.  He is quoted to have challenged that there is no hair-raising deposits in any of his bank accounts.

Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara: Denies involvemenet
Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara: Denies involvemenet
Wapona Kita: Denies allegations
Wapona Kita: Denies allegations

“You can check with the Financial Intelligence Unit if you do not believe what I am saying,” he said.

Rubbishing the allegations further, Kasambara said he has never been to the Budget Director’s
office or his house.

“I understand his house has CCTV which can be checked to verify claims that I have been to his house. I have never
been to his house. The police are doing their job and what the police are saying and what the people are saying is totally different,” Kasambara is quoted saying.

On his side, the same paper said private practice lawyer Wapona Kita insisted there is no grain of truth in all that has been said about him in the anonymous e-mails flying about.

“I would want to take this opportunity to set the record straight that all the personal attacks that have been made about me in the social media with a view of protecting my personal and professional integrity,” Kita said.

“We are lucky that Mr. Mphwiyo is still alive. For sure he can testify if he has ever dealt with me as alleged in the anonymous e-mails which are circulating. I don’t even know where Mphwiyo’s house is situated in Area 43. Actually, we have never met for the past six months and for sure Mphwiyo will be the first to agree to that if asked,” Kita explained.

On the allegations that he and Kasambara went to Mphwiyo’s house to warn him that he would be killed, Kita said it is completely false and malicious.

“A lie that even Mphwiyo himself would agree to be a lie,” he said, adding:” As a matter of fact Ralph and I haven’t met face to face for the past two weeks as he was mostly in the North attending to government business and up to now we have not met yet.”

On Sithole’s K120 million case, Kita said he is indeed involved but it is not true that the instructions for him to represent Sithole in the case came from Kasambara as alleged in the anonymous e-mail.

“It is the father of the accused who called me on the 7th of September to go and attend to his son at Area 18 Police Station as he needed legal representation,” he explained in an interview with Malawi News.

He also dismissed suggestions that he and Kasambara exerted pressure on the police to release the money adding, the court directed that the money be released after a third party entered into a bond that the money would be made available in the event it is needed for forfeiture.

Meanwhile, the K120 million case has since been adjourned to the 22nd of October for hearing.

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