Judge rules Lutepo to start jail term while waiting for confiscation orders: Malawi cashgate
Convicted businessman and chief cashgate defendant Oswald Lutepo will be sentenced and start serving jail while application for confiscation and pecuniary penalty orders has been postponed.
Lutepo, who was convicted on his own plea of guilty on charges of conspiracy to defraud government and money laundering of K4.2 billion ($9.3 million) between April and September 2013, had asked for sentencing to wait for State’s application for postponement on confiscation and pecuniary orders.
But High Court Judge Redson Kapindu in Zomba resgistry on Monday said sentencing should proceed and adjourned the case to Friday August 7 2015 for post conviction process hearing.
The judge ruled that sentencing and confiscation order could be treated differently.
Ruled the judge: “I order that the sentencing process can continue while the application [for confiscation order by the State] is postponed for a period of 60 calendar days or to such an earlier day as the State may apply.”
Both Defence and State lawyers said they were happy with the ruling.
The businessperson-cum-politician risks losing assets of his companies, among them, International Procurement Services, O and G Construction Limited, Woget Cotton Ginning which is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings and Naming’omba Tea Estates.
Money laundering attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and K2 million ($4 444) fine while conspiracy to defraud government attracts an imprisonment sentence of three years, according to Section 323 of the Penal Code.
Convicted Lutepo is the seventh person to be convicted on Cashgate related charges since trials began in February 2014, but the highest sentence imposed for money laundering has so far been seven years the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court imposed on civil servant Victor Sithole.
Lutepo has led a flamboyant lifestyle on the back of the despicable cashgate crimes which have caused so much misery up and down the country.
iust forgive him God has already punished him
Mr Lutepo,akazi anu tikhwasula koopsa.Mudyeretu komaliza katundu ameneyu.Munatidyera nafenso tikudyereni.kkkkkkkk!
Kkkk coment reserved, fire goes where the bush has remained.
Anjateni mbava inu tikuvutika ku Malawi chifukwa cha inu pambavu inu
Ndinava kuwawa munthu atandibela phone ya 1110 Nanga oba ($9.3million) iwe nde bwenu ukanenela ku prison
Bola nzathu walawako life ya ndalama, uwaulule onse unkapanga nawo ma move since 2006 mpamene unayamba kulemela mwakathithi
What abaut him
Lutepo has to be jailed 10 years behind bars. Komanso mumulande katundu yense ndipo mukagulitsa katunduyo pliz buy medicine….
Musova
mukabwerako osadandaula . bola mwasunga thumba lina lija . muwauze maiwo kuti asangodya ndi azibambo ena .
Hosni Mubarak style of pretending to be a very sick person. Bakili did the same when Bingu cornered him. No mercy for thieves. My taxes cannot be stolen like that for personal gains.
No permanent friends in politics but permanent interests. See you in another political life. We have a good relationship pano ndipoti ndithayime ma line ena kaye.
Chitsilu muchione mutu ngati chakhuta masese. Sunati akakuchite yakumbuyo kundendeko pa wheel chair nyapala iwe. Uwauzeso achilukire nawo akalowetu. 92billion njambili tatopa kukudikilani kuti audit atulutsa liti.
Anthu woipa awa. Kuba ndalama zonse. Koma a Lutepo mukufuna lero tikumvereni chisoni. Pepani ndithu, awo ndi mabvuto anu ndipo zitsatikhudze ife monga mtundu wa a Malawi. A Malawi lero lino akuvutika kwambiri chifukwa cha zimene mumachita. I wish if some of you die and rot there in Jail. Mabvuto anu asakhale mabvuto athu. Kodi ndifunse mukaba mumadya ndi ife? Simumadya ndi anthu aku Chitipa. Zanu zimenezo. Ine ndikugwirizana ndi ena mwa ma presidential candidate amene amanena kuti anthu oteroni yanu idzikhala imfa. Ndiye a Peter analetsa akuti ayi. Mwina nawonso zawo ndizomwezo tu. Nanga bwanji amaletsa?
Kaloweni basi, ana tiona kuti tipanga bwanji! Madam paja anthu adayamba kale kulowamo azibambo
Have they exhaused all the tricks for him to be charged? Nde bola akanalowa nthawi yomwe yijatu bwenzi pano atasewezako 2yrs! Kupusa basi.
Kaloweni achimwene. Mkazi wanu azibambo asamala
Malawi judiciary is the stupidest in world. How can an individual who has stolen a chicken be sentenced to 5 years imprisonment while someone who store 65 million sentenced to 3 years??? I don’t expect to see anything more than 2 years for this man. This small, impoverished country to TOO corrupt; led by the dullest president I ever saw or heard of and the most docile human beings who can withstand such a useless government. I saw the president kissing the first lady on velentine thing, gross
I smell a rat here !!! Kenako timbva kuti wakululukidwa ndi a president kuti ndiodwala
Search me !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Am also happy with the ruling.but let Friday be the last.MR LUTEPO SIR,GIVING A LOT OF EXCUSES TO DELAY JUDGEMENT WON’T HELP.IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU WILL BE CONVICTED NO MATTER WHAT.THE BEST WAY TO RUN AWAY FROM THIS CHAOS IS TO ACCEPT IT.start serving.soon you may be out inShah Allah and then start a new life
These thieves should be given long sentences not 3 years like that if queen of theft Namathanga, PS. Stupid sentence
Shame. Very shame indeed. Let us be satisfied with our small earnings. You need to be shot dead. Cruel people
munyetseni 15 years. wealth without work is sacrilegious
its sad indeed
Vuto lofuna kulemera ndi ndalama zaba ndi limenelo.