Chunara charged with fraud, money laundering, granted court bail: Malawi cement-gate
Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Florence Msekandiana has granted bail to businessperson Shaffe Chunara, owner of Prestige Imports and Exports, who was arrested last Monday in connection with the importation of Cement worth K5 billion (about $7 million) duty free using former president Peter Mutharika’s tax-free status.
The court has since formally charged him with two counts of Fraud and Money Laundering.
Chunara was arrested by Fiscal Police for the cement saga after police earlier arrested Norman Chisale, aide to former president Peter Mutharika.
Chisale was also charged with fraud and money laundering.
Lawyer Powel Nkhutabasa said considering that Chunara’s co-accused person Chisale was granted bail on the cement importation matter, it was fair to also release his client.
The court has since released Chunara on a K10 million bail bond and also imposed a condition that he surrenders two sureties worth K50 million each.
The cement was allegedly imported from Zambia and Zimbabwe and is suspected to have entered the country using the duty free status that presidents enjoy to import goods for personal use.
The court has adjourned to August 26 when the accused person will appear for full hearing.
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Job well done in the fight against corruption!
I want to beg the media in Malawi. You must be custodians of court cases that go silent and report on reasons why other people are treated differently. The law is the law it applies to all. Pursue all cases that are in the interests of Malawians to know the truth. Let investigative journalism begin to take hold but not witch hunt
Komanso Anzathu axhimwenyew ndiomwe akusokonez Dziko lamawi ngakhale malipilo ao ndiopangits manyaz
Flight risk
Every one wants Chisale ‘s heard on the table
dead…
And Judges will need Chinura employ their cousins since he has the monies..
Thats how things roll out in MALAWI..
‘
The conduct of the judges and police leaves a lot to be desired. Indians are above arrest in this country, the police only invites them to share their successful theft stories and they are let go. If the Indian mentions man of colour then that man is arrested and re-arrested again and again and beaten to confess. Why the black police abuses fellow black citizens boggles my mind.
Chunara has only stayed hours in police cell, he is now on bail. Chisale was kept over the weekend in the police cell. Imeneyo ndiye malawi police service.
Chauta akuwona
Chunara; being Asian and being glanted bail is as good as case closed. You will never hear this case again in your lifetime. There has never been any Asian serving any sentence in our prisons.
The law states if the accused is not a danger to the public he can be granted bail whether he is black yellow white or any race!
BUT WHY THIS SELECTIVE JUSTICE? PAKUTI NDI M”MWENYE
Investigations need to determine in what way(s) the Big Kahuna, shameless MUtharika (and family and friends), benefited from these fraudulent arrangements? If they in any way did, then they must also be prosecuted!!!!
In all honesty it appears that even if President Chakwera and his government are truly committed to wiping out corruption in Malawi, our magistrates and some judges are too steeped in taking bribes for President Chakwera to succeed.
For this Indian Chunara, has committed an economic crime tantamount to treason and sabotage and yet having done so the magistrate grant him bail. There surly is bribery involved. Once again as we have seen numerous times, an Indian is never punished in Malawi because these Indians buy their way out of any trouble.
Look at the photo of Chunara walking out of Court. Cheerful as if he is coming out of his shop. We Malawians must decide whether Malawi continues with the poverty and suffering which corrupt Indians cause and have caused since 1994, or do we want development and prosperity, for development and prosperity and Indians do not go together, We can have only or the other. Shame on the Magistrate. And shame on the investigating officers for not opposing bail for this Indian crook. Malawi will never ever development as long as Indians are allowed to bribe and corrupt and dominate our economy. President Chakwera has zero chance of bringing these corrupt Indians to stop their economic crimes. Nothing works for us Malawians nothing!!! We need to learn from the No 1 Hero of Africans General Idi Amin Dada.
Chunara has not been asked to surrender his passport? He could drive to Chipata and never come back. Do this magistrates have any idea or do the bribes they receive make them ‘market traders’? Trading justice? Instead of applying the law?
Then get ready for starvation like Zimbabwe
no problem so long as we get rid of you parasites. Go back to india. Africa will survive. we v been surviving for centuries before chrishna was born even
Yes Indians bribe but why are malawians taking these bribes?? So are you saying Malawians are money hungry and will sell out their country for a bit of money.
The problem with Malawians is that they are not patriotic with their country. Everywhere you go they want bribes.
Zoona
The two countries Uganda and Zimbabwe who chased the whites and Asians out regretted the move. Uganda through its mission in uk gave all the properties back to asians which were seized and asked them to come back. Some returned and some decided to remain in uk . Zimbabwe have asked the whites to come back and have told them that the farms that were seized will be returned. Idi Amin was a retarded mentally sick person .everyone agrees with that. he’s forces even killed his own people who were opposing him . He was a war criminal.
Very in correct statementsabout Uganda and Zimbabwe . Mentally colonized mind. You have no idea what is going on in this world kapena ukupanga dala.. We will stand on our own as africa . we dont need amwenye
Idi Amin you are saying was no 1 hero of Africa. During his regime according to human rights watch upto 500000 innocent Ugandans were killed by his forces, he was known as THE BUTCHER OF UGANDA . He might be a hero to you but to the vast majority of Ugandans and the rest of Africa he was a mad man and a war criminal
Chikhala Ali mmalawi wakuda, police yathu simanva mpaka mukananva kuti has been re arrested. Shame to the Malawi police services. They only arrested chunara after public anger at the lack of action. Police afraid kuti chunara akakhalitsa kundende, who will bribe them?
The timing of his arrest is put on spotlight. Mbirizi, Mtopwa and the Chisales were arrest on Friday so that they spend the entire weekend in the cells. Someone got arrested on Monday and granted bail on Wednesday. I hate what dpp did to the people of Malawi but this selective justice should stop immediately, let me say it again…..it must stop NOW.
there are some more corrupt indians who have been boasting that
Firstly they have supported TONSE ALLIANCE financialy and went on to take photos with President Chakwera one brother on the left and the other on the right.
These two Indians have been known to be involved in corrupt practices with some government officials.
WHEN TIME COMES Chakwera and Chilima shall not shield them they are a shame and can turnish the name of the elected leaders.
WATCH OUT for this corrupt family
Who’s gonna listen to you!
Very true, why giving him bail when others on the same case have been denied the same bail. I am very Tonse Alliance supporter and MCP to be precise but this is total nonsense. I stand by my view.
He hasn’t murdered anyone so he is not a danger to the public. Under those circumstances the accused can be granted bail whether he is black asian Chinese lomwe yao etc etc
Ngati zifukwa zilipo zokwanira weither ndiwe mmalawi or not ukuyenela kumangidwa basi.. Period!!!!
Mwaba zambiri, ndipo mumangidwa nonse