Malawi President Mutharika sues Nyasa Times, fierce critic Ntata over K92bn cashgate
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has rushed to court to file defamation charges and seek an order restraining leading online publication Nyasa Times from further publishing the issue of K92 billion Cashgate linked to the Head of State.
The law suit also includes Mutharika’s fierce critic barrister Z. Allan Ntata and the President wants to be paid damages.
In the lawsuit, according to court records seen by Nation on Sunday newspaper, Ntata – legal adviser to the President’s elder brother, Bingu wa Mutharika, who ruled the country from 2004 until his death in April 2012 – published an article on Nyasa Times on June 22 this year, alleging the President is implicated in the K92 billion Cashgate.
Ntata further claimed in the article that the President was delaying to release forensic report of the K92 billion Cashgate under his late brother’s eight-year rule because he was involved, citing the court records.
The lawsuit has been lodged at the court by lawyers Tembenu, Masumbu and Company.
Nyasa Times had quoted what Ntata wrote on his Facebook page that a Mrs Sadiq of HTD allegedly defrauded government close to K20 billion on bogus purchases of motor vehicles and that President Mutharika is closely linked to and associated with HTD and the bogus payments could be linked to him.
Mutharika said in their natural and ordinary meaning of the published words, they meant he [the President] is engaged in fraud and corruption.
The President claimed: “[The words also mean I am] engaged in dubious transactions with HTD…involved in the looting of public purse from Capital Hill known as Cashgate. In consequence, [my reputation] has been seriously injured.”
Apart from seeking damages for defamation, is seeking an injunction to stop Ntata and Nyasa Times, their servants or agents, from further publishing or causing to be published the said defamatory article of the plaintiff.
Ntata and Nyasa Times are yet to give their reaction the lawsuit.
The K92 billion (US$206.7 million) Cashgate was reportedly mismanaged during the first Democratic Progressive Party (DPP over the eight years of the presidency of the late Bingu wa Mutharika.
With financial assistance from the German government, the Auditor General’s office released a data analysis report -conducted by audit and business advisory firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC)- as a first step towards a full forensic audit which would take approximately 10 months.
The data analysis cost German taxpayers 250 000 euros (K125 million), according to National Audit Office and identified discrepancies between payments made from government bank accounts and cashbook records held in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis).
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If you have a wound and salt is applied on it you feel pain but if not eventhough salt is applied you do not feel any kind of pain. This means that if our bwana is clean, he should not bother. He should just level the playing grounds equally for investigation and release of names of culprits to take place without use of intimidatory measures.
Ndukutha kuona President akuzisomera chaka chino. Mumanena zambirimbiri pa 13bn ya muulamuliro wa JB, nanga izi za 92bn yokhuza inu mutani? Nanga kukhoti akakanena kuti munabadi mukatani?
Akapolo a nyasawo thana nawoni. Alidziwe dziko.
Ndithe ndithe nanthambwe anazitengera pitani kukhoti mukayankhe munawonjezatu .poti munati ndichitsiru lero chitsiru chija chakusumirani kkkkk
Although I take Ntata’s writings with a pinch of salt and that the President can’t be sued while in office why can’t the president wait to sue when he can also be sued, i.e. when he is out of office.
A country that is economically crippled and the poorest in the world is being ruled by bandits who win stolen votes. The 92 billion in qiestion helped a lot to win. Think of their salaries, salary gate at its best.The cow they are milking is now only bones.
MALAWI A COUNTRY FULL OF WRITERS AND CRITICS ALWAYS NEGATIVE MINDED FAR FROM POSITIVES CONSTRUCTIVE. ALWAYS FULL OF JEALOUSY AND NOT READY TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN COUNTRIES CRY BABIES LOOKING UP TO DONORS NOT SO CREATIVE , EDUCATION FOR ABUSE , WRITING EVIL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CONTROL JUST TO CONFUSE THEM. ALL MALAWIAN ARE POWER HUNGRY WISH TO RULE AND NOT TO BE RULED . SHAME ON US WE SHALL NEVER DEVELOP BUT SHALL REMAIN BEGGARS EVEN IN OUR HOMES
Wakuba iwe
KIKIKIKI ETI PETER KUKUNAMIZANI KUTI SUZUKI VITARA YAKE NDI YA 41 MILLION. AMALAWI KUKHULUPIRIRA.
mbala iwe KHALA PHE. NKHOPE YOPHWANYIKAYO. LERO ZIKUKUWAWA NANGA NDALAMA UNABA POPITA KU AMERIKA UMANAMA KUTI KULI MEETING WABWEZA.