Auditor General backpedals on cashgate ministers: Under political pressure

After increased reports that Auditor General Stephenson Kamphasa is under political pressure not to reveal names of cashgate ministers has stunned the nation when he said no cabinet minister was involved in the K236 billion  loot at Capital Hill, the seat of government in Lilongwe.

This is in sharp contrast to his earlier remarks when he said he could not name the seven serving cabinet ministers because the Attorney General had advised him against revealing the names.

But in a dramatic u-turn, Kamphasa said there is no single serving cabinet minister in the cashgate report list.

He said what his office has are names of private companies which he said he surrendered to the graft busting body, the Anti Corruption Bureau.

This comes days after President Peter Mutharika challenged firebrand Rumphi east MP Kamlepo Kalua to name the cabinet ministers as he has been claiming he has the names.

Kalua said Kamphasa gave the names to the Public Accounts Committee of parliament where Kalua sits as vice chairman.

Reports indicate the said names include  Agriculture Minister Goerge Chaponda,  Finance minister Goodall Gondwe, Labour minister Henry Mussa, Energy minister Bright Msaka among others.

Kamphasa told the press that a donor has been identified who is to sponsor further investigations on how the money was looted.

Another audit report says former Bingu wa Mutharika, former president and brother to the incumbent head of state stashed K92 billion in offshore accounts.