Kumwembe names JB witness: ‘Ex-Malawi president said she knew people behind Mphwiyo shooting’

Former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier Macdonald Kumwembe defending himself on all charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder on former budget director Paul Mphwiyo has named his list of witnesses to take stand including former president Joyce Banda.

Other witnesses are politicians Hophmally Makande and Friday Jumbe, Chifundo Chikaphupha, Eric Mambucha, Robert Kasamu, Christopher Meckleni and a man only identified as Felix.

Banda is currently abroad but Kumwembe has asked the courts to subpoena her to be a witness in the Mphwiyo shooting murder.

Kumwembe said he mentioned Banda because during a rally at Lunzu when she was President after Mphwiyo’s shooting, she said she knew the people behind the incident.

Mphwiyo’s shooting on 13 September 2013 led to the unravelling of the systematic looting of millions of government money dubbed ‘cashgate’.

The former soldier, who Mphwiyo identified as his shooter and Pika Manondo will start defending themselves but they want Judge Micheal Mtambo to recuse himself from the case on the grounds that he will not offer a fair trial, but he has since refused.

The judge is expected to make his ruling on whether he will recuse himself this Friday.

Up to US $30 million was minted from the government payment system, where politicians and businessmen colluded with civil servants for payments for goods and services not rendered to government.

Soon after Mphwiyo’s shooting millions of cash in Malawi kwacha, US dollars and South African Rands started pitching up in unlikely places like in car trunks, baby dolls, under beds or in pillow cases.