DPP rejects Chaponda claims cash found stashed in suitcases from ‘Blue Night’ – ACB

A prosecution witness has told the court that the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rejected claims made by  former  Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda that thousands of dollars and millions of Kwachas found by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) stashed inside suitcases hidden in the bedroom of his house during a search, belongs to the party.

Chaponda: Face corruption charges

Chaponda is second-in-command in DPP as its  vice-president responsible for the Southern Region and parliamentarian for Mulanje West.

He is being accused of corruption in the procurement of maize from Zambia.

Testifying before Zomba Magistrate Court, prosecution third witness Robert Mbuzi Mkandawire, senior investigations officer for the ACB, who searched Chaponda’s residence in Lilongwe where they found money in various currencies, said they were told by Chaponda that the money was realised from a Blue Night function which the DPP held in Blantyre.

“When we found the money in the house, he told the bureau that the money belongs to DPP but when we verified with the party, they denied,” the ACB investigator testified.

Mkandawire stated that when the graft-busting body  inquired from DPP treasurer-general Henry Mussa, also Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism and Nicholas Dausi, a senior DPP member and Minister of Information and Communications Technology, about the issue, they both denied that the money was realised from the Blue Night.

“We checked his accounts, he did not withdraw any money,. This is evidence enough that the money was  obtained corruptly,” he said.

The investigator  said Chaponda told ACB that he did not have any liecence to keep considerable amount of foreign currency.

Chaponda had also told the ACB that he used to keep forex in his suitcase whenever he gtravelled abroad, hence  it accumulated, according to the witness.

But defence lawyer Tamanda Chokhotho accused Mkandawire of telling the court lies, saying he could not prove his sentiments pertaining to a licence of possession of foreign currency that Chaponda obtained from Minister of Finance in 2004.

Chokhotho said Mkandawire’s testimony was not in his sworn statement of witnesses.

Mkandawire said he has seen the licence but said he doubted its “credibility” and needed  to prove “the date “ and “whether indeed the Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe , authored it.”

Between US$58,000 and MK124 million in cash was found after a search at Chaponda’s home last year.

The cash stashed in suitcases reminds Malawians of the biggest corruption scandal called ‘Cashgate’ scam which involved fraudulent government payments for services not rendered and for “ghost pensions” to fictional government retirees.

Corrupt officials pocketed the money, using it to buy smart cars and mansions — or simply stuffed bundles of US dollars and Malawi kwacha in car boots, handbags and pillowcases, hence the “cash” in “Cashgate.

Chaponda is answering three charges which include giving false information to ACB, influencing a public officer to misuse his position and possession of foreign currency. He has constantly denied any wrong doing.

He was arrested by ACB in July last year on suspicion of corruption relating to procurement of the K26 billion maize from Zambia.

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Godfrey Chabalanga
Godfrey Chabalanga
6 years ago

This is a very sensitive issue that can yield disparities between or among individuals

Godfrey W Chabalanga
Godfrey W Chabalanga
6 years ago

This is a very sensitive issue and needs a very critical analysis.

Mau akoma akagonela
Mau akoma akagonela
6 years ago

Chaponda once said “Nsomba imayamba kuwola kumutu” . Which means, him chaponda as second in command of the party is a thief and going by his words, the guy above him (the prince) is also a thief. The rest are thieves.

Haha West
Haha West
6 years ago

Can the PAC and ACB check urgently a container has arrived in Malawi it’s at GMS freight it’s containing police officers shoes the value is Usd 988,000 dollars it’s imported by reliance trading owner Karim of lido he is finishing the country either put him in jail for life or deport him he has cars worth mk2 billon at his house and properties worth Mk50 billion he is eating poor Malawians money why is the government not doing anything he has so many cases even at MRA he has to pay Mk30 billion but the case is gone under the… Read more »

Mute
Mute
6 years ago
Reply to  Haha West

$988,000 for officers shoes, seriously???????????

Yalakwa
Yalakwa
6 years ago
Reply to  Haha West

Why just go to ACB and report Haha West rather than using this forum. If you have evidence, ACB needs informants like you. What if none from ACB reads your comment then what happens?

santana
santana
6 years ago

Mr Maunits, how long have MCP kept the madalas who have butchered innocent Malawians in the one party state? There are people in the party which took a hand in throwing people to crocodiles yet the party is smiling at them. People who took part in NYAKULA are still chairmen of this party of death and darkness. What good can MCP tell Malawians? There is no word of ”democracy” in the vocabulary of MCP. Let the party rot and roast in the opposition. That is where it belongs.

Headteacher
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

A very good question indeed, where are these people? May be Dausi, Ntaba and 101 others can help…

Mona
Mona
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

A Santana mulibe nzera olo imodzi why defend thieves and iweyo udziwe kuti MCP 2019 ndi boma kale mbava za DPP kwawo ndikundende. Chaponda ndi mbava zose zija ndi jail basi. Nothing is hidden under the sun. MCP woyeeee. Mulira simunati

Otoche
Otoche
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

Mention the name of the one you know

Binnwell Kachikopa
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

Iwe santana kaya satana, umbuli wakowo usamatinyase nawo wamva! Wakuba ndi wakuba wamva! Mbuzi yamunthu!

HoRror
HoRror
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

Asantana muliso ndi ntchito yina kupatula ku teteza mbavazi.. How many pple have died mysteriously during Dpp reign.. pple we, todays generation knew & interacted with them… dpp is stinking party right now.. look at rumours of curruptions.. escom, macra, water boards, nche, construction industry…. posachedwa timvaso kuti mwasokoneza zamafuta coz that is where u r planning kukaba pano..

MoneyBay
MoneyBay
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

Santana I know you were born in the early 50’s and most of us on this forum are from 90s. So stop wasting your energy feeding us with trash about MCP for as far as we are concerned, the killer party is DPP. They butchered Chasowa in cold blood, butchered 14 people in July 2011 and good enough your stupid butcher Bingu followed in April 2012 and that served him right. Get this into your smelly ass, you can tarnish MCP’s image for a whole year but one thing that is definite in our hearts is DPP and your wide… Read more »

JOHN GOOD
JOHN GOOD
6 years ago
Reply to  santana

anthu amenewo anachokamo. amatsogoleledwa ndi a DAUSI

diso
diso
6 years ago

hmmmmm shame!!!!!!!!! akulu

Kwacha
Kwacha
6 years ago

Champonda should have been removed from this position long tom age just as he was fired from the cabinet. Why is he being kept? The prince of thieves know.

Chikulamayembe
6 years ago

Obviously Goodall Gondwe will defend Chaponda on Foreign Currency License, these people must goo

Otoche
Otoche
6 years ago

If Chaponda is vice president of dpp and he claims money belonged to the party, what does that partly tell us?. They are all connected and party to the scandle.

Both are corrupt

When the shoulder says please ask the head for this burden on me, don’t say he is insane

Comrade
6 years ago

He still wants to lead us, taking Malawians for granted, mbava ngati imeneyi, vice president of DPP? maiko ya anzathu munthu akamveka mbiri ngati izi, he/she voluntarily resigns, awa afuna azitiberabe…….NO!!

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