Malawi govt to confiscate all ‘cashgate’ wealth -Report

Malawi government, with support from European Union (EU) and other development partners, is set to launch a special unit that will be responsible for confiscating wealth proven to have originated from proceeds of crime, primarily Cashgate, it has been reported.

The EU will also provide technical support to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in helping to acquire skills to investigate and prosecute cases of money laundering as well as to undertake asset forfeiture at the conclusion of cases, according to EU head of politics, press and information office James Dolan.

“ We will also, working with and under the direction and supervision of the DPP, provide technical expertise in setting up an Asset Forfeiture Unit in the office.

“The EU, along with other partners, is providing technical assistance to strengthen public finance management systems, which is an important pre-requisite to reducing corruption,” said Dolan as quoted in the press.

The special unit will facilitate the State’s wish to recover all assets originating from proceeds of various financial crimes.

Meanwhile, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) national coordinator Chris Chisoni welcomed the development on but cautioned that such a unit should be backed by a strong legal framework to ensure that the recovered assets and resources are not abused again.

Malawi Law Society (MLS) honorary secretary Khumbo Soko said while the idea was interesting, the society would await details of the proposed operations and legislation of the unit before making comment.