K151 billion DPP: Master of cash-gate, looting in Malawi
It is a matter of days before leaders in the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) start answering criminal and civil charges related to looting of K90 billion, being revealed days after its Parliamentary leader Dr. George Chaponda was branding an angelic innocent flag, calling the Peoples Party government rotten from top to down.
Published reports shocked Malawians about an audit revelation that up to K90 billion was discovered missing or mismanaged for 3 years, and a Treasury instituted audit was stopped including the Office of the President which “chased away auditors.”
“Top PP leadership has identified and even created companies and firms which are being used as conduits for siphoning the funds for work that will never be done. Some of the companies have the PP leaders as signatories or part owners,” charged Chaponda, repeating his pro-DPP Galaxy Radio propaganda that Vice President Khumbo Kachali owns a company called Crossmarketing.
But the Vice President told Parliament the ownership of the company including Loga brothers Lekani and Billiati, Khumbo Nyirenda, Luka Kasamba and Charles Kapapa, all of whom are well known supporters and financiers of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) new President Reverend Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s campaign.
“This thing is bouncing back to us, please a Dzoole don’t repeat the issue,” an MCP MP was overheard telling Vitus Dzoole Mwale who had joined in asking Kachali to resign for being owner of the company.
But signs had been telling for the DPP as immediately after President Joyce Banda announced that investigations will cover 2005 to 2013 as the period IFIMs has been operational, its Secretary General Jean Kalirani asked Government “to focus on the current scandals only.”
Later the DPP used its Presidents family station -Galaxy Radio – to try and sabotage the Vice Presidents presentation to Parliament by creating false allegation that he owned Crossmarketing.
Malawi’s flagship daily newspaper The Nation reveals that an audit instituted by then Budget Director Daliso Kabambe and carried out between November 2011 and first half 2012 was kept under wraps identified seven ways which the DPP regime siphoned funds through the IFIMs.
Among the seven includes payments for purchases without Internal Procurement, Payments to Suppliers without good being delivered and payments of fuel without evidence of delivery.
The probe, according to the paper coincided with the discovery of K400 million in a bank account belonging to a Civil Servant.
Interestingly, President Joyce Banda told Malawians that the trial was discontinued by top DPP officials before the matter could be concluded in court, suggesting collusion with DPP politicians on the matter.
The audit was stopped before 14 more Government Ministries and Departments were audited suggesting that the K90 billion is on the lower side and the amount is enough to fund the Ministry of Health for two years as this year’s allocations is K42.4 billion.
The departments that were stopped from being audited include Office of the President, Ministry of Finance and Treasury( the two office competing in number of cash gate villains) Office of the Vice President, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Defence, Malawi Defence Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Ministry of Justice, National Assembly, Department of Human Resources, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Local Government Finance Committee according to the report.
At OPC the audit team was “sent back” while at Finance it was supposed to be the last. There was deficit in political will to continue with the damn audit during the Bingu wa Mutharika administration and the DPP gurus knowing they will be implicated froze the process.
DPP Presidential hopeful Peter Mutharika during the period served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Education and finally Minister of Foreign Affairs before his brother collapsed and died later at Kamuzu Central Hospital due to lack of drugs as the money for drugs had been siphoned out.
Reports indicate each Ministry Mutharika served suspicious amounts appeared on funding up to K400 million and would be drawn out later.
The best example a source indicate that was at Education where K500 million appeared as funding for a primary school and was withdrawn sending shock waves in the Ministry.
The current investigations according to sources indicate will implicate Mutharika and his lieutenants and ex-Ministers including Kalirani, Vuwa Kaunda, Patria kaliati and Henry Mussa among others.
“Everyone in DPP is angry with George Chaponda for provoking Government further. But everyone knows that Chaponda is an ally of Speaker Henry Chimunthu Banda so they are using the House to push for disclosures that will see PP retaliate and finish off Mutharika. Chimunthu Banda will become a candidate and Chaponda his running mate. Chaponda calls himself very senior Lhomwe,” said the source.
The revelations have send people in panic as crest fallen faces are familiar at parliament among ex-Ministers and it explains the desperation in which Peter Mutharika handled his brother’s dead body which included “breaking ribs” “asking the army for take over” before eventually changing Bingus name to “Daniel Phiri” all in an attempt to hide the billions they have accumulated on the backs of poor Malawians.
“Joyce Banda is fighting witches and mafias. They have stolen billions and she should indeed be careful. The Professor warned people that he will bewitch them publicly, others are known to have ordered the killing in cold blood of Robert Chasowa, as she corners them, she should be careful indeed, these people will use all tricks to divert attention and investigations,” charged one analyst who said DPP should forget bouncing back to power as they stolen public funds are now at K151 billion.
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