I conspired with Pika to kill Mphwiyo, witness tells court : Malawi cashgate

April 9, 2015 Wanga Gwede- Nyasa Times 46 Comments

Sate witness Charles Chalunda has clarified in court that the person he had been conspiring with to kill former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo was Pika Manondo and not businessperson-cum-politician Osward Lutepo.

Chalunda (left covered his face) and Chilinda: After court appearance
Chalunda (left covered his face) and Chilinda: After court appearance

This was after Chalunda had been persuaded to testify by defence lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa and Enock Chibwana from the prosecution team when the court sat in camera on Wednesday.

He initially refused to testify under oath in the High Court in Lilongwe, arguing that he feared to be charged of perjury, a charge he was earlier convicted of at Zomba Magistrate’s Court.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mary Kachale asked Chalunda if he knew one-by-one the suspects including former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo, Dauka Manondo, Macdonald Kumwembe and Robert Kadzuwa.

Chalunda responded: “I have never seen them.”

The top prosecutor told Chalunda that he is being “ threatened” by the suspects, adding: “That is why you are now disowning the people that you know. You even mentioned Ralph Kasambara as the one who was threatening you and Pika Manondo as the one you were dealing with.”

Kachale charged:“I am insisting that witnesses are being threatened and I can prove that with a recording which we have in our possession, I want to see if Chalunda will disown his own voice.”

The Director of Public Prosecution produced photocopied affidavits and selected a sentence which was purportedly written by Chalunda to Goba Chipeta as his lawyer to read to the court.

“Affidavit imene ndinapeleka yoyamba siidali yolondola. [The first affidavit I submitted was incorrect],” read Chalunda.

Chalunda testified that it was correct affidavit when he was made to re-read it, sayin he was happy with it.

“I don’t know where all this is coming from! I think I meant to omit the ‘si’ [not]. I don’t know what is happening. I did not write,” he said.

According to the affidavit, one of the accused, Pika Manondo, allegedly gave Chalunda money on two occasions amounting to almost K2 million as part payment to kill Mphwiyo.

Mphwiyo’s shooting on September 13, 2013 outside his house in Lilongwe opened a can of worms that led to the revelation of Cashgate, in which public officers, politicians and businesspersons looted billions of taxpayers money.

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46 replies on “I conspired with Pika to kill Mphwiyo, witness tells court : Malawi cashgate”

  4. Kasambara hmmm am sure he might tell us the truth as he needs to be exorcised with all his evil spirits he posessed!

  5. Dream on!the courts want facts to prove beyond reasonable doiubt that the accused did,indeed,conspire to kill mphwiyo and not circus acts.Mafia,intimidation of witness….blah blah,what what,,Kachale?If you can’t stand the heat,stay out of the kitchen.yoiu chose the wrong career,sister.It can get even hotter!Kasambala is noit your average pal,ndi mphumphi.

  8. Lawyers from the same third world university, taught by same lecturers. Look outside your box. Such cases need outside prosecutors. How can Ralph Kasambara and Goba Chipeta and Enock Chibwana differ in any opinion even if it meant life and death?? The guys are conniving before going to court. This is a staged drama to fool you all. How can a legal system fail apply itself in such a blatant case??
    Malawi is surely a failed state.

  13. Lutepo raped our taxes over 2billion Kwacha and nothing is said apart from sending him to MENTAL Hospital

  14. haha you idiots read the nkhani bho bho and you will see what damage chilunda has done to pika manondo and kasambara

  16. Dr Michael Mtambo our learned judge punish these guys otherwise apitiliza kupha anthu.Raphael Kasambala wapha anthu ambiri pogwilitsa ntchito anthu monga Gada,Ali Kaka Nyopex ndi ena otero.Amangeni amazitenga kuchenjera agalu amenewa..A Dauka kupanda chiuno..Agalu inu..Mukamaliza kumanga amenewa chonde chonde nayenso Paul Mphwiyo akalowe.Anaba zambiri galu ameneyu mpaka ndalama zakubazo brother in marriage wake ankagulitsa a bye bye mu msika wa ku area 18 B kumanga chi mansion ku Dubai(Area 49).Akakumane kundende komweko..

  18. Ralph Chigumbuli Kasambara told the court long time ago that there is no case to prosecute here. Law is bout facts and trying to prove them. Law is not about a kangaroo court, no. Law is not about pilar opinion circulating on Facebook and other social media. Go for facts and prove them right otherwise the clever and sinners will be vindicated.
    Cases of such magnitude will never be worn by silly governments headed by the attorneys such as ours. The ti ate sector is better informed and knowledgeable. It is not Christianity at play over here. It is all about being elusive.

  19. Kumalawi wo sauka yekha nda amene amapeza wolokwa no Justice ku makhothi apa malawi …i have never heard or see any Hot case in this country kuyenda mwa chilungamo…..Ma lawyer mumaphunzira chani?… i would like to know…This case we actually see or we know for certain kuti pali chinyengo…..Chifukwa ma umboni ndi ambiri… zomwezi zinthe zaka… God knows

  20. Little by little this case is turning into a comedy. You can easily note that even from the names involved: Chilinda, Chalunda, Oswald Lutepo being represented by Oswald Mtupila, Raphael Kasambara representing himself, Chibwana kkkkkkk!!!!!, Mary Kachale directing prosecution of cases involving her own mother in law and Chifundo Kachale presiding over some cases his own mother is running away from, SHAME. I will never be surprised in the end to be told “these guys were shooting a movie, WATCH AND ENJOY IT.”

  21. just like treason case for peter and his midnight 6, stop this cashgate issue, since 2013 you have been finding more than 100 people responsible but only 3 have been arrested, why? Why can’t you juwt stop it?

  23. Mlanduwu ndiwakalekale
    Ndichachidziwikile kuti anthu nonse
    amene mukuyendetsa mlanduwu
    mwalandila kale chinyengo.Ku Malawi
    kulibe khoti logamula milandu
    mwachilungamo.Mlandu yomwe
    simatenga nthawi ndi anthu osauka
    ONLY GOD IS A REAL JUDGE

  26. Total rubbish. These are mafias. Cases of people who are not public figures are done at a faster pace. Others are already serving jail terms. But this case is mmmmmmm

  29. Kodi kunali chinkhoswe kukhothiko nanga afundira nsaluwa ngati gulu la a tambala woti nsoti uwasankhe

  31. koma yaaah! Chalunda akuti sakuzidziwa izi and a police ndi aboma nde amamuwuza ndikumuwopsyeza kuti atchule manondo koma iye sanalole!

  36. Just strange that of all lawyers in town Chalunda would go and change his affidavit with a lawyer who works for Kasambara’s law firm. Very strange

  38. I think we are understanding these things differently. For me, the state is proving its case that the defence is playing mafia tricks with witnesses. Of course, the report, as written by the reporter, is confusing as well. One fails to follow the argument properly

  39. Kkkkkkkk. Mukuzikola nokha. It clearly shows the DPP is ill organised. Dont you sit down with your witnesses?

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