Auditor General quashes Ntata on Mutharika being ‘biggest fish’ in K92bn cashgate

The National Audit Office has quashed claims by Allan Ntata, the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s legal adviser, implicating President Peter Mutharika in the K92 billion (US$206.7 million) Cashgate which was reportedly mismanaged during the first Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Ntata claimed pressure is mounting on President Mutharika not to release the MK92 billion forensic audit report because he is linked to the looting from the public purse at Capital Hill during late Bingu’s eight-year rule.

Germany-funded financial investigation—conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) will expose ministries and departments behind the K92 billion heist between 2009 and 2012 as well as broader public finance malfeasance as it also covers the years up to 2014, according to sources close to the audit exercise.

PWC have finalized results of data analysis in the K92 billion audit query and presented the interim report to Parliament likely to tabled this week.

The report covers a period of five years, which includes the period when the K92 billion issues occurred but pointed out that it is “not restricted to the K92 billion.”

According to a statement by Auditor General Stephenson Kamphasa, the data analysis results are only the first step towards a full forensic investigation and does not in any way mention anyone let alone implicating them.

“The data analysis in not a forensic audit, rather it is the first stage of such audit which needs to be looked into and will be followed by forensic investigations.” Kamphasa said.

“ From the data analysis alone, it is not possible to establish exact amounts or causes of the discrepancies nor how many of these funds were misappropriated. Therefore, at this stage, no loss of money has been determined nor the names of those behind it,” reads part of the statement by the Auditor General seen by Nyasa Times.

As a next step, the NAO, with support from German government, intends to conduct and finalise further investigations into the causes, individuals and companies involved and the amount of money concerned within a time frame of around 10 months.

K92 billion went missing over the eight years of the presidency of the late Bingu wa Mutharika and the structure of that government is the same which incumbent Peter Mutharika is using.

According to Ntata, a Mrs Sadiq of HTD allegedly defrauded government through the Malawi Police close to K20 billion on bogus purchase of motor vehicles like KIA Sorento and President Mutharika is “closely linked and associated with HTD and the bogus payments could be linked to him.”

Ntata alleges that from 2010 to 2011, Mutharika travelled regularly with a Mr Harris Sidik the Director of HTD.

“This was the time the two were allegedly sharing their share of the MK92 billion,” claims Ntata.

The implication of the President might just heap more trouble on him as Parliament is likely to seek for his audience in the chamber to answer these implications. Currently, Mutharika is playing hide and seek with Parliament where he is wanted to explain the proposed sale of Malawi Savings Bank and other contentious issues.

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