Kasambara sentenced to 13 years jail: Malawi ex-justice minister appeals

Former minister of justice Ralph Kasambara  has been sentenced to 13 years  prison term on the count of conspiracy to murder former budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Kasambara in armoured police van as a prisoner
Kasambara in armoured police van as a prisoner

Kasambara was convicted of conspiring to murder Mphwiyo alongside former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier Macdonald Kumwembe  and businessperson Pika Manondo who faced a separate charge of attempting to murder the former budget director.

Justice Micheal Mtambo also sentenced Manondo and   Kumwembe to 15 years  IHL for attempted murderand  11yrs for conspiracy to murder.

Manondo and  Kumwembe’s sentences will run consecutively, meaning they will serve 26 years  in prison.

Mphwiyo’s shooting at the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe is believed to have exposed Cashgate, the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill.

The case, which started in 2013, has been marred with hurdles ranging from application for recusals from defence, defence being thrown back into jail for contempt of court and other excuses.

Meanwhile, the three are appealing Supreme Court against the sentence and conviction.

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50 replies on “Kasambara sentenced to 13 years jail: Malawi ex-justice minister appeals”

  1. The REAL REAL REAL culprits in Malawi. the ones who are behind all this are the high profile asians, all the money from the cashgate has been going to their shops to buy building materials etc, since 1994 they have been milking mother Malawi and building their empire abroad. Government should target them and get back what they have stolen from this country. All their properties should be taken by the government and made state owned.

  2. Mfiti amaeneyu akachita appeal mumuonjedzerenso zakazo. Muchite chidzungu mumachitachi choti “Actually the highly learned Judge erred” You Kasambara deserve 50 years IHL.Komanso mumuonjezere zaka zina zoopsezera anthu

  3. Malawians are more interested in knowing the cashgaters who amongst are these foue ie Phwiyo,kasambara.kumwembe and manondo.we don’t care who was shot or murdered.As you know all these four wanted to kill one other because they were all stealing our taxes inclding JB.So why rush in a murder case involving murders instead of a case involving cashgate which resulted in many people diying in the hospitals bcoz these four stole money meant to buy medicines.Ma judge /Court a kumalawi nzeru nzochepa.You should have put on hold this case and remand these pipo in jail until the cashgate cases were over

  4. Hehehehedeeeeee uluuuu! The happiest day of my life. Kasambara muchitokosi. Sadyeka wadyeka ndi fupa lomwe wauza! I am loving this. Anzathu anali ma untouchable. This na gud thing ooooh i tell you. This world na small ting and this no go be small matter. What you do others go comote and do am. Watch wewell so you day pray to true God. Tchai Chinekeeee u go call. Ezemwai you go call again. This wahala na real. I hope you repent and not get pardoned for nothing.

  5. O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………O
    Whatever is the highest rank a judge can possibly rise to, in Malawi; Mtambo irrevocably deserves it.
    . . . Truth is, this Kasambara is no ordinary man in the legal fraternity and in Malawi – he was a powerful [influential] person; thus could twist judges’ [and other people’s] minds willy-nilly.
    . . . Kasambara was a graveyard of hope to any lawyer or client with a case against him. He could use his influence, threats or abracadabra, and win a case or get away with deeds, he could possibly be punished for.
    . . . Where a case points at Kasambara as being in the wrong, judges could, without being asked; recuse themselves for no reason at all (but fear).
    . . . Simply put, he was feared by all; including presidents; thats why he had to be appeased with appointments.
    ………………………………………………………………………….
    . . . Now, to have a judge who defied all odds and stood up against such a man, is no small business, I can promise you, good people. And this has not been an easy ride for Mtambo.
    . . . Coz not only was the case complicated hence difficult to determine the truth [when the truth was there], but Mtambo was also threatened throughout the case – being name-called, “Robinhood”, forcifully asked to recuse himself and forced to prematurely release the rationale [in writing] for the trio’s conviction.
    . . . And yet in all these times, Mtambo remained unmoved. Such courage just cant go unrewarded!
    Also, can a judge be more just an intelligent than the one who makes sentences run consecutively? when we all know that concurrent sentences are as senseless as serving no justice on the lesser crime?
    . . . Reward this man. He’s simply the best!
    O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………O

    1. Mau. This dude was and he still thinks he is untouchable. Well chingauluke chidzatera ena adzachimanga mapiko kuti ana asewere nacho. Nthawi yakasambara yotera yafika. Zikomo judge Mtambo. Now chinjateni papiko ana adziseweretsa

    2. The Analyst, you always make Nyasatimes articles an interest read even on articles that are unprofessionally articulated. I have been following

  6. LET KASAMBARA PAY FOR HIS OWN SINS FOR THE TIME BEING, SIMILARLY, PAUL MPHWIYO THE BIG THIEF OF OUR TAX MONEY,SEVEN ROTTEN MINISTERS(MWANVEKA, MSAKA,MUSSA,GONDWE,CHAPONDA, UJENI NDI UJENI..),KALONGA AND NOT FORGETTING ALL THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND THE KILLING OF LATE ROBERT CHASOWA AND LATE NJAUJU WHETHER AT STATE HOUSE OR WITHIN POLICE SERVICE OR WITHIN THE RULING DPP MUST EQUALLY FACE THE LAW IF THE DP GOVERNMENT REALLY KNOW WHAT “RULE OF LAW” IS ALL ABOUT. IF NOT, IT WILL BE A MATTER OF TIME……

    OOPS! LET US KNOW FORGET THAT JUDGE MTAMBO GOOFED BIG TIME TO CONVICT KASAMBARA ON A CASE WHERE THE PROSECUTING TEAM MISERABLY FAILED TO PROVE THEIR CASE BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT.I REALLY DOUBT IF THE MTAMBO JUDGEMENT WILL BE UPHOLD BY THE SUPREME COURT BASED ON MTAMBO’S CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE ON SERIOUS CASE LIKE THIS ONE.I CAN FOR-SEE KASAMBARA HAVING THE LAST LOUGH JUST LIKE JOHN TEMBEO DID WAY BACK IN 1996.

  7. O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………O
    A aaaaa so its now official that Ralph is a prisoner? A aaaaa . . .
    . . . Inu, isn’t this the Kasambara who, in the early days of his trial; used to wear suits with JB’s batch while arrogantly crossing his legs (in the courtroom)?; as if saying “you are just wasting your time on me, coz I can’t be convicted”?
    . . . Inu, mukuti Kasambara yu, ndi yemwe anthu amati the most brilliant, smartest lawyer in town thus, knows the constitution and other laws letter by letter, from chikutiro to chikutiro; hence cant lose any case in a court of law?
    . . . Abale inu, mwati Kasambara yu ndi yemwe almost each and every president used to bribe with a ministrial or Attorney General’s post so that the president could easily threaten their critics with lawsuits?
    . . . Inu, inu, inu . . . a aaaaaa . . . . .
    One thing is very clear: “Everyone is ignorant; only on different subjects.” – Victor Hugo
    ………………………………………………………………………………..
    You see, Ralph may have been a legal savant but was completely ignorant of the fact that . . .
    . . . There is always a limit to which one can engage in evil and get away with it. Evil has a price – and must be paid; either in the present life or the hereafter or both, coz “As we sin; so do we suffer.” – George R.R. Martins.
    . . . Ralph is so ignorant of numerical risk metrics that while understanding the risk involved, he significantly underestimated the probability of being caught, tried, convicted and sent to prison.
    . . . He was so buried up in evil thus, forgot that “What could possibly go wrong, does go wrong.” – Murphy’s Law
    Anyway, Ralph is a past now; and “Past is past. The future is all that’s worth discussing” – Petre Bellish.
    . . Thus, all crooked lawyers [and others] take heed! Coz kwatsala moto, tchire limapita komko or viceversa.
    O……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..O

    1. Mmmmm leave Muluzi out of dis. Case mpaka more than 10yrs? Do u know how much money the gvt has spent on that case? Bwezi atagula mankhwala mzipatala pano anthu mkuchila. Osamalimbana ndi zinthu zoti sizingatheke. What u have to know is Muluzi sangamangidwe come what may anthu ayesera akanika.

  8. Even the whole President is afraid of him.. Onani chibwano cho… ngati choopsezera mwana!!

  9. Can Mtambo replace Max Mbendera? He seems to have all the calibre and patriotism we want people /judges like Mtambo, and they should be in numbers please so that they should protect malawi and malawians

  10. luke 11 v 52
    Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

  11. Luke 11: 46“Woe to you as well, experts in the law! He replied. “- You weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

  12. Thank you Lord for punishing this evil man, Kasambara. All along, this man thought that he is bigger than God and he wanted everyone include God to fear him. He has done a lot of bad things to Malawians and even the church. He helped to destroy and divide one of the Evangelical Churches here in Malawi and we have been praying that anyone behind the destruction of the church should face the consequence for his action. So today God has done it.

  13. ACB, keep up the fight..on CASHGATERS …please ransack BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT at Ministry of Transport and Public Works.. Architects (Sam Ngoma and Chiphiko) are busy cashgating also from Clinton & Hunter Foundation Health Projects in Mchinji..Imagine collecting K30million and K400million from the Chinese Contractor…..

  14. Judge Mtambo deserves an award he is not a coward.Ralph kasambala has done alot of bad things to people but everyone was scared to confront him including his fellow lawyers.He is a mafia I hope he dies before his appeal.God bless you Mr Mtambo

    1. _there are many mafias in town, some of them are owning big businesses including banks. I hope justice will find them one day_

    1. ….meaning you are not proud of your father? Bambo ako akawerenga comment yako ,ndithu adzimvera chisoni.

  15. Chonde tachotsani kachithunzi ka ‘TEEN WIFE ACCUSED OF CHEATING BEATEN’- taona mokwanira and it’s making me uncomfortable.

    Bravo Mtambo. Appeal Ralph – it’s your Go given right! For the time being reality is wamagidwa you are a prisoner ndithu. Just tell us your prison number!

    1. @ Zexa. Actually kwasala APM and his bunch of thieving ministers. Osaiwala uyu paulosi uyu. Its just a matter of time.

  16. Ali Kaka atapha munthu lawyer wake anali uyu, Ali Kaka anathawa, lawywer wake akudziwa. Mwazi wa munthu siupita pachabe, lero ukayidi ubwera munjira zina. Osayikira umboni wolakwa, akapulumuka, umagwida iwe oyikira umboniwe, ali ndi njira zake zobwenzera.

  17. Malawian Lawyers think that they are above the law…! This should be a good examples to others law enforcers in the country…TIME IS RUNNING OUT….. and the Mighty God is on our side!.. we gonna chase all Crazy baldheads out of our town

  18. Koma abale, this world is a bank of lessons. Moto umapita kwasala tchire. Pano waiting for chaponda, Godall, Mussa and all cash gaters to go in prison

    1. Thats right! Pano kwatsala those above plus Mphwiyo, Kalonga, Tchuka the RBM governor, Joyce Banda, Mpoola…..

    2. i feel sorry for young Kasambara,but beliave me you,its just a taste of time.Mind you this has nothing to do with Chaponda,iam sorry.

      1. congratulations to Prison United for signing three player on the deadline I hope we should ask FAM to reschedule the game against Be-fowards

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