DPP Kachale describes convict Namata as masterminder of K2.4bn ‘cashgate’

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mary Kachale has told  Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal that Cashgate convict Maxwell Namata was one of the masterminders of the K2.4 billion looting in government in a case involving former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo and 18 other suspects.

Cashgate shame: Convict Maxwell Namata hides hide shis face.-Photo by Mphatso Nkhoma, Nyasa Times

Namata, a former civil servant, was sentenced to consecutive custodial sentences of three years and five years for theft and money laundering respectively.

But he applied to the court to be exempted from prosecution in a K2.4 billion in the Mphwiyo case

Namata and others are facing charges of fraud, negligence by public officer, money laundering and theft by public servant and conspiracy to defraud government funds  amounting to K2 446 817 450.49.

Through his lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta, Namata is  arguing that he was already convicted and sentenced on a similar offence.

But Kachale submitted in appeal judge Lovemore Chikopa’s chamber that the offences are different and that Namata played different roles.

She is arguing that the evidence the State has shows that Namata was the one who recruited his accomplice, Cashgate convict Luke Kasamba, among others.

Justice Chikopa has reserved his ruling to a later date to be communicated.

Apparently, the arrest of accounts assistant Victor Sithole – currently serving nine years in jail with hard labour for his part in the K24 billion ($53.3 million) “cashgate” corruption scandal – in August 2013 kick-started what became known as the “cashgate” affair – the worst financial scandal in the country’s history.

It became public knowledge a month later following the shooting of Mphwiyo g outside the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe on the night of September 13 2013.

Former President Joyce Banda ordered a forensic audit undertaken by British firm, RSM (formerly Baker Tilly), covering the period between April and September 2013. The audit established that about K24 billion was siphoned from the public coffers through dubious payments, inflated invoices and goods or services never rendered.

In May 2015, a financial analysis report by audit and business advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also established that about K577 billion in public funds could not be reconciled between 2009 and December 31 2014.

However, the K577 billion figure was later revised downwards to K236 billion by another British forensic auditor.

 

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Tiptop
Tiptop
6 years ago

This is DPP. Every one is the masterminder of cash gate.
What a load of bullshit is this.

Achimwene
Achimwene
6 years ago

The problem is the leadership of this country. Just a go ahead to the judiciary without interruption will see our country on the move.

Achimwene
Achimwene
6 years ago

These stories have taken sooooo long to resolve. Its either Malawi is not competent enough to solve such issues and/ or it’s too corrupt.

sory
sory
6 years ago

it never rains but pours for Max Namata bola ndalamazo unakatchova abale ako ku Kasungu koma pano akudyelera akuchikazi ku Salima.Walidziwa dziko

sory
sory
6 years ago

it never rains but pours for Maxy Namata bola ndalamazo unakadya ndi abale ako ku Kasungu koma pano akudyelera akuchikazi ku Salima.

Njolinjo
Njolinjo
6 years ago

Until such a time that the MK577 billion/MK236 billion is investigated fully and culprits brought to justice Malawi will not be considered to be serious with matters of dealing with corruption. The good thing is courts are institutions of records. No matter how long it takes, people involved in the plunder of the MK577/MK236 billion will answer difficult questions one day. That you can rest be assured that there is no running away.

Bankha
Bankha
6 years ago

Good developments but i feel their sentence is not stiff enough…..However my question would be do we know if any of this money has been retrieved in any form, or they will enjoy this money after the sentence?..

Inspectah Deck
Inspectah Deck
6 years ago

Khorodani!

mjiba
mjiba
6 years ago

Soft custodial sentences no one will be deterred by these type of smooth 3 years sentences. These guys deserve lengthy jail terms if Malawi will get over corruption. So far we are yet to hear the courts make pronunciations on the forfeiture of properties that these people amassed. They were not stealing Government money for the fun of it. They were stealing to amass wealth by buying motor vehicles, houses, creating laundering businesses, sponsoring political parties as alleged. Sponsoring concubines for those that like pan.ini etc The courts need to make pronouncements to seize all these properties. Freeze all their… Read more »

Mudzamva liti
Mudzamva liti
6 years ago

Musachite mantha achimwene, kayankheni mlandu uwu. Za ana amuna izi. Munaziyambiranji?

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