Lutepo exonerated in Mphwiyo’s attempted murder: ‘ No evidence linking him’

Lead investigator in the ongoing Paul Mphwiyo’s murder case, Kankwala Chilinda has revealed that there is currently no evidence linking Oswald Lutepo to the attempted murder of former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

Lutepo is yet to enter his plea but the rest – including former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo, Dauka Manondo, Macdonald Kumwembe and Robert Kadzuwa – pleaded not guilty.

Chilinda said during cross-examination when lawyer for Lutepo, Oswald Mtupira asked the lead investigator if there was any other evidence linking his client to the case.

“We do not have any evidence linking Lutepo to the case,” said Chilinda.

In his first affidavit, one of the state witnesses Charles Chalunda mentioned Lutepo as one of the member’s amongst the conspiring team to murder Mphwiyo.

However, Chalunda later on through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) asked the courts to replace Lutepo’s name with that of Pika Manondo.

According to the lead investigator, there is currently no any other evidence linking Lutepo to the murder case.

One of the accused Ralph Kasambara and who is also representing himself asked Chilinda as to why the investigators failed to follow up on the lead provided by the former president Dr Joyce Banda when she said she knew of the people who shot Mphwiyo.

“Most of the information reaching the higher offices comes from the military, the intelligence and even police officers like us.

“However, by the time the statements were made, we had already started following up on another lead,” said Chilinda.

Mphwiyo’s shooting on September 13, 2013 outside his house in Lilongwe opened a can of worms that led to the revelation of Cashgate, in which public officers, politicians and businesspersons looted billions of taxpayers money.

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