Mutharika justifies appointment of financial expert to be anti-corruption czar

President Peter Mutharika is convinced that Lucas Kondowe, a man he has appointed director of the Anti Corruption Bureau-ACB has the acumen and technical expertise to bring immediate results on cash gate related matters.

The President appointed accountant Kondowe as Director General of ACB on Wednesday, 8th October, 2014, making him the first ACB boss who is not a lawyer. Kondowe is yet to be approved by the Public Appointments Committee-PAC of Parliament.

Kondowe, a qualified chartered certified accountant (FCCA) was General Manager -Finance, Planning and Strategy at First Merchant Bank and is also a certified public accountant (CPA).

And speaking to members of the media after meeting opposition leaders whom he contested against during the May 20 polls at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Thursday, President Mutharika described Kondowe as an ideal candidate for the ACB’s top most job.

“The cash gate is very complicated because it involves very complicated transactions.”

“I thus found Mr Kondowe who is a certified accountant, fraud examiner and financial forensics specialist to be the best person to lead ACB. Am very sure he will be able to trace these cash gate transactions and very son you will see some progress, ” the president explained.

Issues surrounding cash gate were also part of the discussion between President Mutharika and the other presidential candidates on Thursday.

Peoples Transformation Party-PETRA leader, Kamuzu Chibambo said opposition leaders urged the president to ensure that all culprits are brought to book.

” We told the president that it was important for people to know what happened and who did what on the cash gate. Some are taking court cases as persecution, but we said no, the law must take its course,” Chibambo said.

Over K20 billion is reported to have been plundered at Capital Hill, the theft which has made some donors  withdraw their direct budgetary support.

Many people have been arrested in connection with the plunder but only former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Theresa Namathanga Senzani has been convicted and sentenced.

Senzani was convicted in August after pleading guilty to charges of theft and money laundering amounting to K63 million. High Court Judge in Lilongwe, Ivy Kamanga sentenced her to three years imprisonment with hard labour.

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