Cashgate gunshot survivor Mphwiyo allowed to travel to South Africa for surgery

Cashgate suspect and former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo Paul Mphwiyo has been allowed by High Court in Lilongwe that he can travel to South Africa to undergo a follow-up surgery scheduled for July 21 2015 on his jaw following his shooting on September 13 2013.

Mphwiyo’s lawyer, Shadreck Mhango of KD Freeman and Associates, assured the court that the gun short survivor would return to Malawi as he has previously done when he was last granted permission to travel to South Africa,.

High Court judge Charles Mkandawire ordered that Mphwiyo should travel on July 19 and return by August 2 but that his passport would continue to be in the custody of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

The judge also imposed another condition for the travel that Mphwiyo should surrender copy of air ticket to the ACB and upon arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa then surrender his passport to the Malawi High Commission there.

Mphwiyo is facing charges of theft and money laundering K2.1 billion ($4.7 million).

But he is a victim of the shooting outside the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe when he was budget director in the Ministry of Finance.

Former justice minister Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo and McDonald Kumwembe have a case to answer on the attempted assassination of Mphwiyo.

Apparently, the arrest of accounts assistant Victor Sithole – currently serving nine years in jail with hard labour for his part in the K24 billion ($53.3 million) “cashgate” corruption scandal – in August 2013 kick-started what became known as the “cashgate” affair – the worst financial scandal in the country’s history.

It became public knowledge a month later following the shooting of Mphwiyo.