Chaponda says he is ‘prepared’ for arrest on Malawi ‘Maizegate’ scandal: ‘Let them prove me guilty’

George Thapatula Chaponda—the erstwhile Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development and Leader of the House— has said  he is prepared for his impending arrest over corruption element in Malawi’s maize imports from Zambia.

DPP administrative secMphepo (right) with Chaponda: I am ready to be arrested

Two state sponsored public inquiries recommended that Chaponda, who is alsp the vice president of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), should  be investigated.

Graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), has said Chaponda is under investigations and could be arrested.

Legal commentator based at South Africa’s University of Cape Town, Professor Danwood Chirwa  argued that Chaponda has “committed or is alleged to have committed a litany of legal infringements including flouting procurement law, gross negligence in the discharge of his public duties, perjury, arson, corruption and money laundering.”

But there has been suspicions and accusations that Chaponda is being shielded from prosecution with commentators branding him a “sacred cow” in the fight against corruptiom.

In a political rally  in his Mulanje South West constituency at Chonde in Mulanje on Sunday which was attended by ruling party gurus including secretary general Griselder Jeffrey wa Jeffrey, said he was ready and prepared to be arrested.

“I have been waiting to be arrested because people have been saying so,” said Chaponda, a lawyer by profession.

He denies any wrong-doing.

Chaponda, flanked by DPP administrative secretary Francis Mphepho,  said he is “still waiting” for his arrest.

“The law says you are innoncent until proved guilty, so I am not afraid, let them prove me guilty,” said Chaponda.

Reyneck Matemba, the deputy director of the ACB said the bureau is still making forensic investigation of suitcases stashed with cash – US$58,000 and MK124 million seized at his house during the raid in February this year.

ACB raided Chaponda’s residence following a recommendation by the commission of inquiry into Malawi’s maize imports from Zambia that he should be investigated.

“You should understand that we are doing a a good job. We are still analysing how he got the money, we are analysing the electronic gadgets. We confiscated phones, ipads. Some of them had pass words, this delayed our investigations,” he said.

Matemba said the ACB also confiscated similar items from suspects in the ongoing Zambia maize corruption saga.

The ACB second in command said his organisation is coming up with good charges for Chaponda.

“We are looking at analysis of forensic investigations. Forensic investigators took four days to crackdown on mobile phones  [belonging to Chaponda]. There  is progress, we need to come up with a very good case and good analysis and that is what we are doing now,” he said .

“If we are to charge Dr Chaponda with existing currency exchange laws on the money we found in his house, then he could get away with very lenient sentence and the people would blame us for this. People should be patient. We cannot start to prosecute him in piece meal. We cannot start isolating cases,” he said.

Matemba could however not say how soon the investigations would take. Asked recently on Capital Radio’s Straight Talk program when ACB will summon Chaponda for questioning.

“At the bureau we do not just summon an accused person for questioning when we do not have basis. Being found with money in your house is not a criminal offence on its own,” said Matemba who is also ACB prosecutor.

“We want to establish where  the money we found from Chaponda came from. We will do our investigations. If we call Chaponda to the bureau before we conclude our investigations, people will think we are disorganised,” he said.

Matemba continued: “ We would rather finalise the investigations and invite him for questioning.”

He said the bureau is workly closely with  Reserve Bank of Malawi on the cash which was seized from Chaponda’s residence.

“We have made tremendous progress [and] we will be inviting  him to be questioniong. We are not shielding Chaponda,” he said, adding “one aspect of investigation can lead tp another. We are about to conclude investigations.”

But law experts say Chaponda  has been afforded enough time and space to build his story, saying investigations could have gone ahead having interviewed him under caution which is not a presumption of guilt.

Chaponda justified why he is cash-rich after they confiscated at least K166 million stashed in suitcases at his house, saying he  has worked for the United Nations (UN) for over 20 years and has his own investment..

He  also submitted his assets declaration form to ACB which indicates he hold many bank accounts in foreign countries where he worked for UN.

A lists of assets Chaponda declared as of  February 1, 2017 seen by Nyasa Times shows that he has 20 real estate properties in Lilongwe, Blantyre, France, Luchenza, Mangochi, Thyolo and Chiradzulu.

According to Chaponda declaration, the source of funds for the property, valued at K853 million, included bank loans and his earnings from the UN, United Kingdom, South Africa, France and his children abroad and Chaponda investments.

University of Malawi political scientist Boniface Dulani is in record saying that the decision to fire Chaponda from Cabinet  was forced on  President Peter Mutharika who would have maintained the minister if he had his way.

Dulani said the maizegate—just like Cashgate on Joyce Banda—will forever be associated with the Mutharika’s regime.

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zangaphe
zangaphe
6 years ago

I dont see Chaponda being arrested. Remember Kamlepo told us that somebody was coming from Zambia to sue ADMARC for breach of contract. Did that sue take place? Can I trust Kamlepo and Chidant over the results of their kafukufuku if they lied that Malawi Government will be sued? In short I could see that the Parliamentary committee lied on the following facts: 1. Kamlepo said that Selling Agents in Zambia will sue against Admarc in Malawi. Which court have they sued? If this was a lie , do we need to trust the results of their kafukufuku? 2.Please come… Read more »

The Partriot
The Partriot
6 years ago

Just arrest the maizegater….full stop! This guy is guilty until proven innocent….eish! Maizegate suspect………office bonfire……loads and loads of money in his house….!! Even a fool cannot miss the links on this one……one must be very very dumb to think all these are mere coincidences!! As a taxpayer I get so mad at people who play with our money the way the maizegater did. Verily verily I say unto all Partriotic Malawians that unless we get angry at corrupt politicians we will never prosper! Imagine munthu ngati akuba anthu ali ndi njala!! #arrest the Maizegater!!! Or he is trying to joke… Read more »

CitizenX
CitizenX
6 years ago

DPP are not worried about 2019 elections, am sure by now they already have a rigging system in place, that is why they are so arrogant to the malawians. DPP is not a party anymore but it is a MONARCHY, Bingu, Peter, we are now waiting for the next king to rule us with an iron fist. the only way out is for us who are learned to civic education our friends who are not so that they learn to vote for our brighter future. lets us all begin to campaign for a better malawi, please

dee kay
dee kay
6 years ago

MWAOTCHA OFFICE, MWABISA NDALAMA NDIPO ZINA MWAGULA NYUMBA KU USA. MWAOTCHA MA FORGED INVOICE NDIYE MUKATIUZE KUTI MULI READY? KODI POLICE YA KU MALAWI NDI YOPUSA CHONCHI KUTI MBABVA IZICHITA MUKUUZANI KUTI TSOPANO MUKHOZA KUNDIMANGA NDABISA UMBONI? CHITSIRU CHAPONDA CHIMANGA

kholowa mkabudulak
kholowa mkabudulak
6 years ago

Chaponda worry not man you will sing again that song once we get in power! Stupid old man, thief an old piece of dry wood you are!

Gwamba
Gwamba
6 years ago

Santana you big-mouthed foolish DPP supporter who will always lick Mathanyula’s ass even with your empty stomach. Who says DPP will win hahaha I laugh at you bootlicker. Your region is the most hungry region always disturbing us at our doors seeking for maize husks, and now you have already started exchanging your maize with mere plastic shoes kkkkkkkk Lhomwe guys you never stop to amaze us. You have already forgotten how desperate for food you were even at the point of trying to fake a flood coz you are used to handouts, is that what you call development from… Read more »

chidebewachidebe
chidebewachidebe
6 years ago

a useless bureau.

Dr Akweni Mulanje West
Dr Akweni Mulanje West
6 years ago

Nanga bodyguard wachisilikali akutanipo as if Chaponda is still minister

psyta
psyta
6 years ago

kkkkkkkkkkkk !!! Kodi Dulani ndi wa Civics kapena Political Science ??

MZIKA
MZIKA
6 years ago

….Being found with money in your house is not a criminal offence on its own,” said Matemba who is also ACB prosecutor.

are you sure? these people are creating a hiccup of money circulation no wonder the gap of poor and rich is wider due to selfish rotten minded people like Chaponda

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