Lutepo moved to Chichiri Prison ‘on medical grounds’

Chief Cashgate convict Oswald Lutepo was on Monday transferred from Zomba Mikuyu prison to Chichiri prison in Blantyre.

Malawi Prison Service Public Relations Officer, Evance Phiri could not deny or confirm the issue when contacted by Nyasa Times.

But one of senior Chichiri Prison officers confided in Nyasa Times that Lutepo has been moved to the penal complex on medical grounds.

Lutepo is currently serving -jail sentence handed down to him by the Zomba High Court on conspiracy to defraud government and money laundering, in September, 2015.

He has since filed an appeal against Judge Redson Kapindu’s sentence, arguing he was betrayed by the State and that Judge Kapindu disregarded his positive testimony in the trial and concentrated on the negative aspects of his case.

Lutepo, 37, was slapped with 11 years imprisonment with hard labour (IHL) for conspiracy to defraud government and money laundering K4.2 billion.

Conspiracy to defraud government attracted a maximum sentence of three years IHL while money laundering attracted a maximum penalty of 10 years IHL.

On the first count, both the State and defence wanted one year jail term, but the judge decided otherwise due to the gravity of the case and the suffering it has inflicted on the society.

On the second count, Justice Kapindu slapped Lutepo with eight years IHL, considering that convict cooperated with the State in giving information and that he restituted his property worth K370 million.

Kapindu said he handed down the stiff punishment on Lutepo considering the seriousness of the case. The sentences ran consecutively effective June 11 2015 when Lutepo was convicted.