Top gov’t official implicated in shooting of Mphwiyo: JB knows assailant
A top government official is being suspected of plotting and financing the shooting of Budget director Paul Mphwiyo on Friday night as he drove into his Area 43 home in Lilongwe.
“There is a mafia in government, powerful man who is behind this,” sources tipped Nyasa Times. “One of the issues is involving K120 million.”
Names were mentioned but Nyasa Times have withheld the names to avoid jeopardizing police investigations.
President Joyce Banda has also said she knows the assailant, saying Mphwiyo attack comes at the he was about to bust a corruption syndicate.
“Whoever stole money meant for purchasing of medicine and construction of school blocks will be caught despite the incident,” said Banda at a 9th Ijtima meeting, which is a gathering of Muslim women at Lunzu , Blantyre.
Heads are expected to roll in government.
Human rights activist Billy Mayaya called for probe into the attack, saying there should be no shielding of the suspects.
“As civil society, we condemn the shooting of Mr Paul Phwiyo in the strongest terms. Whatever the circumstances or disagreements that may have transpired, it does warrant acts of wanton violence,” Mayaya told Nyasa Times.
“Secondly we would like to appeal to the Executive to desist from prejudicing the case with unsubstantiated statements in public. The expectation from the public is that the Police be allowed to carry out their investigation without undue political influence and interference,” he said.
Lilongwe Police spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula said Mphwiyo was shot three times in the cheek, shoulder and chest.
Dandaula said the assailant stood at the gate of Mphwiyo’s house and shot him as he drove into the house.
He said the attacker did not steal anything from the house.
According to published reports Mphwiyo’s colleagues at the Ministry of Finance and close family members said yesterday that the 37-year-old budget chief had confided in them that he was receiving phones threatening his life in connection with his tough public finance and economic management measures that that have closed pilfering loopholes at Capital Hill.
During his two months as budget director, Mphwiyo has also cracked down on dubious government contracts and payouts that were a conduit for siphoning out billions of taxpayers’ money but which the Ivy League trained economist has largely cancelled, Nation on Sunday reported.
Mphwiyo’s wife Thandi said the budget director was in a critical but stable condition.
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