Cashgate lawyers named: Ex-Malawi army chief Odillo implicated

Malawi Government on Thursday released the Baker Tilly forensic audit report into the cashgate scandal which contains a list of 49 individuals who between them had a hand in siphoning K24 billion of public funds.

Kasambara:  His former  law firm Ralph and Arnold biggest beneficiarry of cashgate funds transfer
Kasambara: His former law firm Ralph and Arnold biggest beneficiarry of cashgate funds transfer

Former commander Henry Odillo and his deputy Clement Kafuwa have been implicated as they were signatories several cheques, K3 billion to International Procurement Services (IPS) owned by chief cashgate suspect Oswald Lutepo.

They were also signatories to a K1.5 billion cheques to South Africa based Thuso Group owned by Alexander Banda and Nelson Kauwa.

The auditors have however identified nine people who are linked to companies involved in cashgate, among them son to the former president, Roy Kachale.

Kachale has however only been mentioned to have had an affair with one of the implicated cashgate suspect Laura Savala but himself not linked to the financial plunder.

“Anecdotal evidence would suggest Laura Savala and Akajuwe Roy Kachale Banda are in a relationship as girlfriend and boyfriend. Akajuwe Roy Kachale Banda stood in the Parliamentary Elections as a People Party candidate,” reads a note in the report.

It was not independently verified if indeed Roy Kachale had a relationship with Savala. Kachale is married with four children and Laura is also married.

The report also said four payments totalling K140, 896, 121 to three different legal practitioners in Malawi between July and September 2013 “using cashgate funds”.

According to the report, Ralph and Alfords formerly owned by former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara and Wapona Kita received “the highest amount being Mk57, 393,800 which wa paid primarily from IPS (of Lutepo).”

Another law firm Knight and Knight  (of  Yambani Mulemba and  Noel Chalamanda) and the Joe and Max Chambers were also beneficiaries of cashgate funds.

Auditors recommend that there should be money laundering checks on the transferred funds to the law firms and that where “breached are identified, the Malawi Law Society should be informed.”

Some 68 civil servants and business people are already on trial charged with graft.

Ex-justice minister Ralph Kasambara and four others face trial for the attempted murder of a former treasury official Paul Mphwiyo who was on the verge of exposing the corruption ring. Mphwiyo himself has also been charged of money laundering and theft.

Foreign donors, who provide 40% of Malawi’s budget, froze vital aid worth around $150m in response.

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79 replies on “Cashgate lawyers named: Ex-Malawi army chief Odillo implicated”

  1. Am surrendering my citizenship! Musale muziberana afiti inu! atsogoleri okuba ngati inu sindinawaonepo pa dziko lapansi lonse… Mwabisa ena mulungu akuwadziwa! athothola mmodzimmodzi…

  2. We dont have serious laws as well as judges as a nation, am betting you with all these charges laid on RK he will get out of these clean moreova gvt will pay him at last. Its very very unfortunate for our country you will hear soon he will be appointed as one of gvt officials. Malawians we are not united with all what Bingu did to us we even trusted his sibling to lead us. I am a malawian for God’s sake otherwise I wud have gve my citizenship away.

  3. Am just to see that the most chastized person MAMA JB is not among the pple. Shame be upon those who have been linking her to cashgate. Now we are waiting to hear how poor BINGU became a billionaire and how ninety two billion was swindled. May God bless Jb who nas lived to the test of life.

  4. alandidwe china chili chonse chimene alinacho anthu amenewa kuti nawonso awudziwe umphawi how can they be enjoying poor peoples money. sitilola

  5. A Noel Chalamanda ku sapotera dpp kuja mumafunapo ka chitetezo kena kake eti munali mutazidziwa kale kuti ndinu chimbamva chodziwa za malamulo aka ralph

  6. ODILLO, SAVALA, CHALAMANDA, LUTEPO, these people are northerners kkkkkk. Northerners you are having the last laugh indeed!!!! This only shows how empty the medulla oblangatas of these Lomwes/Chawas are. Are these names from the north??? Hahahaha achawa and alomwe doing what they know best kuba sha!!!

  7. MUKAMATI NOEL CHALAMANDA akumunamizira ndekuti chani stupid musandikweze BP ndalama amagawa pa campaign adazitenga kuti?yambani amakagawana ndiyeyo.mumuyikira kumbuyonu ndinu mwaweluza mlandu ?zichepe ndisamveso mukuti sadabe ndiwakuba azungu adamutchula bwa?amamuda kapena?

  8. Odillo kwawo ku chitipa. Chalamanda Noel kwawo ku Rumphi. Kachale kwawo ku mzimba, clement kafuwa ndiwa ku nkhatabay

  9. Ku Army ndiye zili kodi. Nanga a Msonthi? He actually invited people from his village to come and see the new bungalow. Nothing from the old house found its way to the new house. Ndalama mpaka kupezeka mu socks. Satan akangofika onsewa.

  10. Kasambara, kuchita kuoneka pa nkhope kuti crook weni weni . Iwe nde Mulungu azakakulanga zeni zeni . Upite muzipatala ukaone momwe anthu opanda maina akuvutikira .

  11. The lawyers who got cashagate money are here.So Tukula never got any cashgate money?why did you arrest him together with Mphwiyo as if he was a thief?We knew it was all political because of assets declaration.

  12. Paja munamera mapiko ata chula mayina achitumbuka mu cashgate. Now you have tugged your tails behind as the names mentioned now are of chewa,lhomwe and yao tribes. I told you that we will be the last ones to laugh. The saga continues.

    1. We will ask government to release another one in Tumbuka for you to see the tumbuka names becauseit appears its difficult for you to see Tumbuka names in the English version report!!

  13. Handling these casesis controversal,no one knws whch team is wining over othr yet we ar lukng for a destiny

  14. Zoona alandidwe dolazo tigawane a Malawi tonse,osanamizila chitukuko ife sitipindula ndi chitukuko babaa

  15. Eeeish guys especially the politicians,you just take the poors granted.pliz, these pple must pay back our money.

  16. Malawian Lawyers, you are a disgrace.So your Chancellor college spent its precious time grooming you to impoverish your own country.You are worse than pigs.Shame!!!!

  17. lipoti ndilimeneli koma tiona mpakana five years term kutha nkhani zilimmabwalo,kodi vuto lanu ndi chani ku malawi kuno?mmawopseza majudge kuti azingo adijani,adijani mpakanakalekale bwanji!zomvetsa chisoni.wodandaula wanu;Brison Brainfast Mpoto Kasonda,iiiyaaaaa!!Tikudabwananu.

  18. A Kafuwa timadabwadi ife ana kukhala ndi magalimoto ogona nawo ku school ku Data, how expensive that school is and kumadya bwino. Magalimoto oti ma CEO alibe.

  19. Those are through banks what about billions taken cash from government companies especialy through MSB, houses plots all this zibwele poyela. Muluzi anaba with clear bank statement from Zomba NB but nothing has happened a galu ndinu a modzi musatipusitse pano

  20. Its very dangerous situation how can less than 20 people make the population of malawi suffer freeze everything whatever the posses ana awo agwileso ukapolo this is ridiculous.

  21. Iwe #19 MNGONI WENIWENI you very stupid and u r commenting something u dont knw so i beg u to read again the whole story and u wil find that kachale had just an affair with cashgate suspect not him a cashgater, angoni kukonda mowa than xool

  22. Knight and Knight is owned by Yambani Mulemba and Noel Chalamanda…..Noel is innocent, ask Yambani.

    1. Koma a Malawi tulo take? Kuikila kumbuyo mbava zoti zakubelani? Iwe ukuti iyeyo ndalama amazitengakutiko? Its from the same cashgate company. Wake up!

  23. These Malawian lawyers!!!! Shaking my head…all these nice cars you were driving and fancy lifestyles is through our money and justice must be served!!!!!

  24. Knight and knight is owned by Noel Chalamanda (the mayor of Blantyre) and cashgate suspect Yambani Mulemba who runs the company from Lilongwe. Yambani is the thief and not Noel….Yambani amaba with Paul Mpwiyo. Abale yambani demolished a house he had bought in area 43 and started building a mansion…which money abale??? Ndalama ya pa Malawi yomweyi??? Just three years ago he wad living in a rented house. Mpakana mkazi wake anasiya ntchito akuti ndalama kuchuluka za cashgate!!! Ayi maula anthu amenewa.

    1. Yambani Mulemba mayi yakenso anawauza kuti asiye ntchito ku malawi hopusing zomba ataona kuti waba zambiri. Panopo anawagulila nyumba ku 47 komwe akukhala ndipo amadya bwino. Ma lawyer a pa Malawi, ndalama za magazi. Anthu afa mzipatalamu kusowa mankhwala koma inu kumangogawana choncho!

      1. A Malawi tulo. Smiling at hyenas in sheep skin. What’s wrong by investigating Chalamanda. He may be innocent but still has to go through rigorous investigation.Just because he’s positively popular in city issues and we should look away. It’s our nature to be sympathetic sometimes but wrong doers must face the tune.

  25. am not satisified with how our govment is handling this serious issue,we want our money back not mitu yankhani pa radio daily.ndipo ndalamazo zikapelekedwa tonse amalawi tigawane osanamizila chitukuko ife sitimapindula. nawo

  26. Even the Britishe are corrupt, worse than Malawians. We know JB touted Lutepo and thanked him for giving 22 new vehicles to PP BUT REGISTERED IN jb NAME. jb ALSO TOUTED THAT SHE KNEW WHO WERE BEHINDSHOOTING mPHWIYO WHOM SHE CLAIMED WAS CLAMPING DOWN CORRUPTION. wAS IT send a theif to catch a thief? And yet the British say JB was clean. Rubbish!

  27. This is a great start We should commend government for taking this bored initiative. I am sure it is not easy to see your bedfellows going to jail but it is good for poor Malawians who are going to bed on empty stomach while the corrupt and swindlers are living in luxury. Now the next step should be to see what happened to the MK92 Billion and we hope that will net even more swindlers and hopefully close the saga with a recovery of budgetary support. Good job APM.

    1. ya 92 billion iwalani bambo. Mwini film anamwalila nde atayankhe ndani komanso JB anaona kuti palibe umboni kapenanso naye anadya nawo thats why 2 years she was in power sanayikoke nkhaniyi.

      1. Ever heard of posthumous or post-mortem trial? Looking at the significant amount of money involved, it would be necessary to have it. If proven that Bingu’s wealth was ill-gotten, let the state reposes it. If vindicated, let his brother Peter, his children, his widow Calister, all his relatives at Goliati and indeed all the people from Thyolo, Mulanje, Chiradzulu and Phalombe enjoy it without anyone crying foul.

  28. So Roy Kachale had the cheek & audacity to tell the just ended parliament that govt should reveal the names of people involved in cash gate and punish them, when in actual sense he knew he benefited from the same??? I just pray that once he is arrested and convicted, there should be a by election in his constituency. I was just wondering as how he managed buying that expensive range rover he is currently driving!!!! Roy, you must be very stupid boy!!!!!

    1. Amaba limodzi ndi amake inu! All JBs relations have prospered in these two years she was in power. Kumpukwes i know them, they have built houses even if u see the gate of their houses uwonadi kuti padutsa ndalama koma in just two years. They were nobodys in the past nde musadabwe. Ana awo anawagulila njale aliyense. mxii

  29. You are talking about Cashgate but you are excluding the Minister of Finance Dr Ken Lipenga and Goodall Gondwe how come?

  30. My heart just sank when I read this report. What a sad set of affairs! There is no question the previous administration of Joisi Banda and her party have a lot of questions to answer. Some of the rumors, like those about the former MDF chief, now seen to be materializing, Many of us could not believe that the apparently “clean cut” former chief would be involved in this sort of malfeasance.
    The perpetrators were major causes of the near calamity we are facing in our economy, So heads must roll, but of course through the legal system only.
    The investigations of pilferage and money laundering are going to be so complex, no wonder lawyers at ACB would not be able to crack any case. ACB needed an expert on financials: so APM was right in the latest appointment of ACB chief! Asaaa!!!

  31. Who can trust this nonsense? The named people might be good suspects, yes, but the report seems to be quite skeletal than real. For example Odilo and his deputy were merely signatories to the cheques. The audit should have queried the system in place. Audit ethics allows conclusive investigation not this “so wanting” report. It does not provide any hope to sensible Malawians. Govt will hardly win any case here unless political persecution.

    The question still remains: “Was the financial system perfect to easily prove the suspects wrong?” If yes, then Malawi is wretched like no body else on the planet.

    By the way, which financial system is Malawi following now after such a scandal with the old one (IFIM)? As a trained auditor, I am quite skeptical of the report and objective donors will hardly believe unless the BRICKS who have political eyes and ears on Malawi and other vulnerable nations

    1. I don’t know what you mean when you say that Odillo and his deputies were “merely signatories to the cheques”. A signatory to a cheque has to know what he is signing for and if he or she is in doubt, he should not sign. I remember when I was young and starting work in the Civil Service, an old auditor in the Civil service advised me that “musamangosaina paliponse, mukamasaina muzidziwa chomwe mukusainacho”. I have never forgotten his words to this day. When you sign something, you bear full responsibility of what you have signed. What kind of an auditor are you anyway?

  32. Knight and Knight was owned by Noel Chalamanda the current mayor of Blantyre.
    What will happen to him?

    1. 92 billion mwini wake anamwalila, ngakhale uli iwe, sungayankhe milandu ya brother wako komanso JB sanayikoke nkhaniyi chifukwa akudziwa palibe umboni.

  33. Chonde thananazoni khanizi ma youth akatopa nayo nkhaniyi angadzachite za ku Burkinafaso – awotchatu parliament and upulezident watha. I hope mukuonela ma TV. Kumaphunzira chonde.

  34. One company 3 billion? Dis this undergo the normal bidding/tender procurement process? if not, what was the role of the Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP)? If not was it, the ODPP an accomplice? or was it a directive of powers from above???.. the very person who donated 22 cars to the party?

  35. ANTHU AMENEWA are thevies, from police, mdf mbala zokhazokha pansi mpaka pamwamba KUMATILANDA NDALAMA ZATHU: BWANJI MRA KULIBE ALIYENSE KUMENEKO

  36. So now you are coming. This is very close to what people expected and you will arrive at the hill very soon. Do not climb faster as it might be slippery but you will get there. Real thieves do not use their real names and this is what they do. Go slowly and you will find make chulu later. Give Ceaser what belong to Ceaser.

    Do not target anyone but deal with those that have broken the law and this is not witch hunting. Go into Mudzi Fund also and Uchembere wabwino projects including One cow a family and goats and dogs distribution projects that left Ministry of Local Government and Agriculturre respectively aside for some reasons not known to many poor Malawians. All What Malawiand and donors need is justice and not what you call witch hunting.

  37. report ija ndi imeneyotu amangwetu.Tsono Ralph,Lutepo & company akumakanakana chiyani? Odillo in the mix as well. the drama really continues…..Next K92 BILLION.

  38. Just get on with it already, let the gvt recoup all the money stolen, add it to the zero zero budget thingy or whatever you fancily call it, and send the Lutepos and Ralph to Maula. Baker Tilly Case closed! Now, can we start with the german 2005-2012 reports please. Thank you.

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