Cashgate haunts suspects Kettie Kamwangala, Sibo Chimpango ahead of polls

With less than three weeks ahead of the May 21 tripartite polls, some presidential hopefuls continue to exert pressure on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government to have the ‘Cashgate’ cases reach logical conclusion soonest.

For the opposition, the untried cashgates cases have helped them garner sizeable political mileage -in one way or another.

Notably, Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) Lazarus Chakwera and UTM Party’s Saulos Chilima have blamed DPP for fettered justice which, they say, continues to bedevil the country.

Chilima has times without number pledged to lock up all cashgate suspects during the first 30 days of his stay at Plot No. 1 should he be elected as president on May 21.

And, to some extent, government has been adhering. Recently the High Court Registry in Lilongwe ordered business lady, Kettie Kamwangala,  to  defende herself in a case under criminal case number 47 of 2013 in cashgate related case alongside her accomplice Sibongire Thawani Chimpango.

The two are suspected to have defrauded government  public funds amounting to K111 million contrary to the public accounts management Act which bars mismanagement of funds of any kind.

Kamwangala is accused of obtaining money by false pretences/theft and money laundering.

According to court documents it is believed  that Kettie Kamwangala through her company registered as Exploration,  during the month of August 2013,  fraudulently deposited a Government Cheque number 016142 dated 02 August, 2013 payable to Exploration amounting to K17 Million and another Cheque Number 016143 amounting to K11 million.

All amounts on the cheque being from the Ministry of Tourism vote yet the company did not render any service to the Ministry of Tourism nor had a contract with the Ministry.

The suspect according to the court documents was arrested, cautioned and formally charged with offence of theft by obtaining money by false pretences and money laundering.

Her accomplice Sibongire Thawani Chimpango during the month of August 2013,  in conjunction with Mr Chilembwe (deceased), formed a common intention and stole K84Million  contrary to section 278 as read with section 22 of the penal code and money laundering proceeds of crime and terrorist financing act.

Both were arrested in 2013 and released on court bail in the same year.

Court documents indicate that Chimpango and Kamwangala were recently ordered to  appear in court on 16, 17 and 18 of April 2019.

The same pressure has seen case of former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo and Reinford Mpoola cruising at a speed of light.

They appeared in court last week.

To show seriousness, the High Court in Lilongwe found 10 people guilty of theft, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a felony in connection with a 2011 Cashgate case involving K201 million.

All were sent to jail except one who was expectant.

Associate professor in political and administrative studies at Chancellor College, Mustapha Hussein, says the progress is elating.

However, Hussein called on relevant authorities to conclude all cashgate cases “with speed.”

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