Lawyers Mulemba, Phoya face arrest in Malawi cashgate crackdown
Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is on arrests galore in the ongoing cashgate scandal and next on line is lawyer Yambani Mulemba and former minister Henry Phoya, Nyasa Times understands.
ACB sources told Nyasa Times that Mulemba is linked to the money laundering charge of the country’s former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo and his wife Thandi.
Mulemba is lawyer of Mphwiyo and ACB said they want to quiz him on allegations that he collected US70, 000 dollars from Mphwiyo’s house immediately after he was shot, among other issues.
ACB deputy director Reyneck Matemba said he could not disclose names of suspects yet to be arrested but confirmed there will be more arrests as they follow corruption and fraud trails laid bare by British forensic auditors Baker Tilly who went to the bottom of the scam, in which some politicians and public servants stole about K20 billion through questionable business or fraudulent means in recent years.
Phoya was implicated by Mphwiyo in court testimony that he was among some ministers who were pressurising him to approve payments to some companies, among them Glens Waterways and Deco/Terrastone which was claiming K9 billion.
Phoya served as minister in several portfolios during the Bingu wa Mutharika and Joyce Banda governments.
In court testimony, Mphwiyo mentioned lawyer Ralph Kasambara, through Pika Manondo, Kasambara’s friend Patrick Gadama popularly known as ‘Gada’ and former spokesperson of the People’s Party (PP) Hophmally Makande and others who were pushing for his signature to honour ‘bad’ payments.
Mphwiyo, whose shooting at the gate of his house in the country’s capital Lilongwe on the night of September 13 2013 exposed the plunder of public resources, was arrested on Saturday for money laundering, theft and conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.
His wife has been informally charged with theft and money laundering.
Apart from the arrest of Mphwiyo and his wife Thandi, the anti-graft body has so far also arrested Makande who handed himself over to ACB following a tip that there was a warrant for him and Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) director of legal services and company secretary Ishmael Chioko.
Mangani onse. Pano zayamba kuwawa ndalama.
Its like that we jst need all money back acb work up
Malawi adaolerathu-kusolola kudakula. Abvekeni unyolo onse mwa changu cifukwa Tilly adakupatsani maina. Donot beat about th bush! Musova!
Azanga do not trust lawyers, Judges and even politician these are thieves palibe wamoyo check the president himself anaba nyumba yooneka nimaso what about cash? only God knows
Kod wabwino ndanino kapena iwo amene if u judge me i’ll judge u2 mwadzadzanako bas idyan lero koma tikakomana pa gatepo
Koma, whatsapp with Malawian lawyers? Who will trust you now? Mpaka Yambani? Chioko? Makande ? Kasambara ? Tukula?
Ministry of Justice, can you find out who wrote comment number 92 who is leaking such government important in formation. He claims to have seen the list and that Phoya’s name is not non the list. What kind of a civil servant is this fool?
Comment number 92 siinafike baba!
John Tembo adanena kuti mbuzi, mkango, ndi Fisi sayika nkhola limodzi. Malawi anaola basi.
As someone who works at the MInistry of Justice, I have been able to see the current list of Cashgate suspects. Some have already been arrested and the others are yet to be arrested but Phoya is definately not on the list. Sorry follks, but that is the truth of the matter
Za 92 billion mudzapanga inu mukadzalowa m’boma pano tiyeni tipangeni Kaye izi zinathyola Phwiyo nsagwada izi
2 years pa hot sit mwakhala mukuyimba nyimbo ya 92 billion why didn’t you make arrests?? Eish!!!