Lutepo on bail, appears in K92bn ‘audit query’

Businessman and cashgate suspect Oswald Lutepo’s  has been granted bail on tax evasion charges after he was taken ill  at Kamuzu Central Hospital but his cashgate tainted companies  appear also in the K92 billion DPP-era cashgate “audit querry.”

Lutepo: At the centre of cashgate scandal
Lutepo: At the centre of cashgate scandal

His lawyer Oswald Mtupila said his client remains  unwell as he is “still complaining of some chest and back pains. He has also complained of some breathing problems.”

Lutepo has accepted wrong doing in the plunder of public resources and apologised to the nation through the media, saying his companies were simply used as conduits.

He implicated former president Banda for benefitting part of his stolen money. Banda has since shot down the claims, saying they are “malicious” and calculated to drag her in the mud of cashgate.

But a look into the K92 billion audit query during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) era under late president Bingu wa Mutharika, Lutepo’s name is prominently featured through his companies.

A certificate of registration number 87745 issued under the Business Names Act shows that Lutepo employed a capital of K500, 000 when he started the business in 2005 whose nature is indicated as “general trading.”

He also registered his own airline to fly people and goods across the country.

Lutepo registered Heart Air on November 13, 2012. The Registrar entered it under number 157286. He also obtained an air service permit from the Department of Civil Aviation to run domestic scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services. The permit under ASP 005/2012 was granted on November 21, 2012.

The permit allowed Lutepo to operate an ATR 42-500 aircraft for a start.

Further investigations reveal that on January 21, 2013, Lutepo entered into discussions with Premium Aviation Services of South Africa to charter an aircraft and crew. The charter was under what is technically called wet-lease.

He  set off as a clearing clerk at Surfair Freight Limited, a privately owned clearing company. He established his first company, OSK Clearing Agency, in 2001.

Lutepo  now  has a litany of established companies under his belt. They include: Naming’omba Tea and Macademia Estates Limited, Chloride Batteries Limited, Spare Giants Limited, O and G Construction Company, WOGET Cooking Oil Company, WOGET Cotton Ginning Company Limited and Flexi Mail Limited.

The audit query on K92 billion shows Lutepo’s companies in it.

German government provided funding for the forensic audit of K92 billion, but  Malawi government has not outlined the progress and roadmap to ensuring that the audit is done.

But Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)  has said it cannot investigate the K92 billion cashgate because Parliament through the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended they first clear the 2013 loot before conducting audit of the K92 billion.

ACB Deputy Director, Reyneck Matemba told PAC members on Monday that the Bureau has no file on the K92 billion cashgate that happened between 2009 and 2012.

He however indicated that compliance with PAC recommendations will not discredit their efforts as an independent body.

“PAC did not and has never stopped us from investigating the K92 billion audit query. What PAC made was a recommendation and not a direction and, besides, that recommendation was made not only to the ACB, but to the National Audit Office, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Fiscal and Fraud Unit of the Malawi Police Service,” Matemba said.

He therefore said forensic audit on K92 billion cashgate can only be tackled after the current cashgate trials are concluded.

The K92 billion cashgate was exposed by the National Audit Office (NAO).

The infamous cashgate forced co-operating partners to withhold their budget support to Malawi.

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coch
coch
9 years ago

Let us wait and see. it is written, there is nothing which is hidden on earth. More will be revealed.

Teketeke
Teketeke
9 years ago

This story doesn’t make good reading. The writer didn’t have a concise story to proffer. It’s just about Lutepo being given bail and nothing else. Green Muheya, how can you say Lutepo is mentioned in K92bn and also say ACB may not even investigate? So, which investigation are you alluding to as having Lutepo’s companies appearing in? See, many people read Nyasa Times including intellectuals, so put up comprehensive articles that have gist. This trash is for semi-educated crowds who swallow hook, line and sinker without digestion. Stop this bull shit as they say silence is golden! Don’t throw media… Read more »

Milandu
Milandu
9 years ago
Reply to  Teketeke

The govt iz full of cashgaters

BEN
BEN
9 years ago

ACB MUST DECLARE THAT IT HAS FAILED TO CARRY OUT ITS DUTIES FOR THE INTEREST OF INOCENT CITIZENS.HOW THEY CAN Ignore Huge Amount Like That.ITHINK THEY ARE UNPROFFESIONED BECAUSE THEY AREWORKING WITHTHEINFLUENCE OF POLITICIANS.ACB IS AN INDEPENDENT BODY THEREFORE ANYONE INVOLVED IN DPP And PP CASHGATE SHOUILD BE BROUGHT TO BOOK.OTHER WISE ACB MUST BE RESHUFFLED.

tchutchu
tchutchu
9 years ago

Why should ACB say that they may not investigate in the alleged 92billion saga? just for the recommendation made by parliament?the constitutions clearly say that you should be independent,far from any interference ,if you say so then it may just bring a picture that all the cases are. Being driven by political influence

thoko
thoko
9 years ago

Lutepo adzafa imfa yowawa

Jimmy
9 years ago

Let us jst unite and do what Ppl of BURKINAFASO did recentlly bcz this adminisration will take us nowhere only to come to a standstill a few days ahead.

Ken Ken
Ken Ken
9 years ago

Its hard to comprehend, let alone put it in practice but believe me, Malawi will and i say it again will and will only change if in 2019 we change MPs, President,Ps,City ChiefExecutes, i mean changing not recycling. Ndikukuwuzani Malawi azasintha!! Palibe politician wakale yemwe pano mtingakhulupire,as for cashgate i know these people being accused now are just a piece of the iceberg, vuto amalawi we are not very united and organised as we ought to be WAKEUP WAKEUP MY MOTHERLAND.

Jimmy
9 years ago

To take things into account,or seriouslly this Lutepo doesnt even qualify to be granted bail.Weak judicial system.

Jimmy
9 years ago

Business tycoon nabbed.

Eni Nyasaland
Eni Nyasaland
9 years ago

These r the pipo that r creating abad image of our country.Malawi is becoming poor n poor coz of such pipo..If this gorverment wil bring out all thoze involved in cashget we are safe but if it doesn,t just know that they are birds of the same feathers meaning kut tinabesa vote satithandiza

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