I was approached by Makande to do Cashgate, suspect Mpoola tells court

Businessman Stafford Mpoola has told the court that he was approached by politician Hophmally Makande to get into Cashgate affair.

Mpoola, owner of Stadal Building Contractors, is facing charges alongside some civil servants—including former budget director Paul Mphwiyo—in a case in which they are accused of laundering K1.6 billion of public funds

On Friday, the State paraded witness number 26, Gerald Chiwanda of Fiscal Police department who investigated the case to do with Mpoola.

Chiwanda tendered all documents related to the bank accounts and Mpoola’s caution statement.

In cross examination, Mpoola said he was approached  by former  ruling People’s Party (PP) official Hophmally Makande  – now deputy youth director in governing Democratic progressive Party (DPP) – to use his companies to launder the money  in the Cashgate affair.

This is not the first time for Makande to be figured into Cashgate affair, as Cashgate convict and former principal secretary for Tourism, late Treza Senzani,   claimed top officials in the PP-led administration, including one-time vice-president Brown Mpinganjira and Makande were aware and played pivotal role in the plot to siphon money out of the State coffers.

Mpoola is a known close ally of Mpinganjira and Makande.

The former PS who served  a three-year custodial sentence at Maula Prison following her conviction and died after her sentence  alleged that another Cashgate convict Leonard  Kalonga,  told her that Mphwiyo would call Makande and Mpinganjira and put their phone calls on loudspeaker to assure those involved that the move was sanctioned at “a higher level.”

Apart from  Mpoola other contractors—Sympathy Chisale, Idris Chaika, Cecilia Ngambi and Ndaona Satema who are answering separate cases related to the looting of public money.

Among the accused civil servants are former accountant general David Kandoje, director of finance Roosevelt Ndovi, Clemence Madzi (accounts officer), Auzius Kazombo Mwale (director of asset management and finance), George Banda (accountant at Tourism) and Cashgate convict Maxwell Namata.

Kandoje is suspected to have authorised the payment of two cheques amounting to K500 million payable to Stadal Building Contractors without appropriate supporting documents.