Assets Director Tukula granted bail: Malawi cashgate

October 21, 2014 Chancy Namadzunda – Nyasa Times 20 Comments

Public Assets Declaration Christopher Tukula has been freed after a Magistrate granted him bail following a court hearing in Lilongwe on Tuesday.

Tukula ((left) with his lawyer Kasambara ar the court
Tukula ((left) with his lawyer Kasambara ar the court

Tukula, a lawyer by profession, was arrested on Friday evening for allegedly interfering with investigations into the ongoing cases on Cashgate, the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill.

ACB accused Tukula among other issues of persuading one of the cashgate suspects Caroline Savala “to twist her evidence” she gave earlier on.

In making his bail bid , lawyer Ralph Kasambara who is also Savala’s lawyer and himself facing cashgate charges of money laundering , said Tukula  cannot jump bail as he is a lawyer.

In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha granted bail and ordered Tukula to report once a month to ACB.

He was also ordered to surrender his travel documents.

Tukula’s arrest has sparked a heated debate in the country as the ACB was accused of making the arrest against a fresh court order to stop the same.

But ACB deputy director Reneck Matemba said the purported fresh order was yet to be served on the bureau.

Tukula was hired about two months ago as director of the country’s controversial Office of Directorate of Public Assets Declaration an office set to oversee the enforcement of declaration of assets by public officers including the President and his Vice to check corruption.

 Being the first ever Assets Declaration Director, Tukula was supposed to establish the office, recruit staff and start receiving the declared assets for the public to scrutinise on demand.
President Peter Mutharika, his deputy Saulos Chilima, cabinet minister and MPs were supposed to declare their assets within 90 days (three months) upon election or appointment. But since there was no director the deadline has long passed.
Although Mutharika and Chilima have said they have already declared their assets, the public has no way of inspecting the declared assets since effectively there is no director.
The idea behind the declaration of assets by elected or appointed officers is to check whether whatever assets they acquire while in office is commensurate to the perks of their offices.

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20 replies on “Assets Director Tukula granted bail: Malawi cashgate”

  1. The arrest of Chris, from my view point, is a political gimmick by DPP to delay the estabilshment of the office of DPAD. We have information that the party had its own preferred candidate who failed the interviews miserably. They are not comfortable with Chris and they are working tirelessly to get him out of the post. Is giving advice an offence? All lawyers give advice and thats what gives them thier bread and butter.

  2. All Cashgaters from the south and the center. What a shameful thing the money could have been allocated to other development projects in the north. Federalism or north malawi state is really needed.

  3. All these thugs one day will be cornered. They think they are clever by hiring Raph Kasambara who is also a suspect! One day Kasambara will be locked up and all these thugs will have no lawyer! You can’t have a laywer who is a convict himself. Think well! Speak well and do well so the word of God commands! You Liars(Lawyers) you will run but you will never hide!

  4. The honourable thing for Tukula to do is to resign. He cannot be performing the duties while on trial or his authorities should interdict him until his trial is over.

  6. Tukula nthawi yomweyi zoona? its true that malawian lawyers are corrupt. Pamenepa nde kuti wagona nayenso Caro Savala yo.

  11. Thot Lawyers have to coach their clients on how to respond to questions? Wasnt Senzani coached to plead guilty and refund the loot by you know whom?

  13. You are saying that he should report to the ACB once per a month? Meaning that it will take more months to put this guy on judgement? Be serious guys tamangani zilombozi inu zisatikwane muno

    1. I completely agree with Mabuluku. This guy is supposed to go to jail as soon as possible. We want Malawi to be almost or completely free from corruption and thuggery. But that can happen only when all these people are behind bars.

  14. Man Tuks…this is my free advices. 1. Get a new, different, cash gate free lawyer. It will help your case. 2. Read the writing n the wall.

  17. Raphael Kasambara, this is what is said to be “thick in the happenings”. Seems every nabbed person is being represented by him. Is he serious or its just a game to him?

  18. what we need if this country is to move forward is to shoot all lairs, thieves, nepotistic bastards, corrupt politicians, we need to shoot them all, and I mean that literally.

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