Chakwera demands K92bn DPP-era cashgate crackdown: ‘No selective justice’

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera has registered concerns on the slow progress of wheels of justice to the plunder of public money and want action on K92 billion DPP-era cashgate and about  K20 billion which grew wings from public coffers under People’s Party rule from April to September 2013, as was revealed by a forensic audit report by a British company, Baker Tilly.

Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition, said at a news conference in Lilongwe that slow pace to concluding cashgate cases was worrying , saying the crackdown should reach to the genesis of cashgate, from the DPP –era.

“I acknowledge that a few cases relating to cashgate have been concluded in the courts. However as Malawi Congress Party and as representatives of no other interests than those of Malawians, we will accept nothing less than the swift prosecution of every suspect and the full recovery of every Kwacha stolen from tax payers and donors by those found guilty in a court of law,” Chakwera told reporters.

“It is sad in my view that Government’s efforts to address cashgate head on and root out its causes are not satisfactory. There is lack of urgency and the dilly-dallying tactics. It is almost as though government’s failure to deal decisively with all cash gate cases is deliberate,” said the opposition chief.

Continued Chakwera: “So let me put it plainly: If this Democratic Progressive Party led government does not push for urgent conclusion of all the cashgate cases and does not ensure the full recovery of the resources stolen thereby, Malawians will forever hold them responsible for the misery they are suffering.”

Chakwera slammed the Mutharika government of being reluctant in probing the K92 billion cashgate under the DPP rule.

“We notice unwillingness on the part of the government to deal with the pre-cashgate corruption which saw the missing of billions of Kwacha which is not fully probed. If the current government is serious in fighting corruption, they should also deal with these cases,” said the MCP president.

He said MCP is not interested in “selective justice that confines its inquiry to political opponents.”

Chakwera said his party demand that” justice be done for Malawians, and it should be done swiftly.”

Following the Cashgate revelations, donors withdrew aid and Malawi has been operating on a zero-aid budget, a situation that has caused misery to Malawians economically.

Chakwera pointed out: “. It is no secret that we are in urgent need of medicine for our hospitals, salary increments for our teachers, and improvements in the welfare of civil servants in general.”