Malawi Cashgate prisoner Lutepo tells MIJ ‘ President Mutharika should release me from jail’
Businessperson-cum-politician Osward Lutepo who is serving a prison sentence after being convicted as a major figure in the “Cashgate” scandal, which led to several donor countries cutting their contributions to the government, is seeking pardon from President Peter Mutharika to release him from jail after serving three years of his 11-year sentence, according to an interview he game Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) radio.
Lutepo who was a high-ranking official of the then governing People’s Party (PP) and donated vehicles to the party, is asking Mutharika to pardon him as part of this year’s Independence Celebrations on July 6.
“I am pleading with President Peter Mutharika to pardon me because he is the only person who has the authority [to do so] so that I can receive the full medical attention [I deserve]. My health is not well and my conduct has proved to be good,” said Lutepo Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) FM’s Tidakalipo Programme—a weekly prison magazine series.
He added: “God forgives without looking at who did what. So, forgiveness should not be conditional.”
Lutepo told the radio that he has demonstrated good conduct while serving his sentence. He also said his health condition qualifies him for pardon.
Zomba-based High Court Judge Redson Kapindu sentenced Lutepo to a total of 11 years in prison, eight for money laundering and three for conspiracy to defraud the government.
Cashgate is the biggest financial scandal in Malawi’s history and helped push former president Joyce Banda out of power. Lutepo mentioned Banda as a beneficiary of the looting, claiming it was State organised scheme where government officials allegedly exploited a loophole in a computer-based information storage system to divert up to $250 million from government coffers.
Donor countries were outraged and withheld $150 million of aid which contributed to 40 percent of Malawi’s annual budget is.
Prior to the sentencing, Lutepo addressed the media and said he had been just a minor player in Cashgate, and he urged others to confess their wrongdoings. He said Joyce Banda had used him to plunder state resources.
Banda was president of Malawi from April 2012 to May 2014 and was the southern African country’s first female president.
Ena anaba Mbuzi imodzi they served their sentence, iwe unaba ma billion, lots of lives are still suffering up to now because of you,
I always laugh when people say lutepo was successful. You don’t know him and the ways that got him money. Dig him from his days from mwanza . He has been a crook . As much as he pleads for mercy now he should also know that there are people in jail who has no voice and who deserve to be released than him.Sadly Malawi journalists entertain him too much
Nonse mukuti mulutse simungstsogolere anthu. This man took millions in a corrupt way, heI must in be prison till 11 years finish, we are serious to deal with corruption.let him die in prison or serve half of 11 currently the country is facing with big problems of. Him. Akhale konko, ena akukhala bwanji osauka. Akhale konko
The man Lutepo is unwell. The man Lutepo already apologized to Malawians. The man Lutepo revealed that JB was the main beneficiary and was used as a conduit by JB. The man Lutepo revealed that JB anamutumapo kukapeleka bandulo kwa abusa opuma Ku konveshioni ya MCP. The man Lutepo knows that others were released on bail on similar and related offenses. It’s only fair to consider his request favorably. Odya zake alibe mulandu. JB ndi abusa anadya ndalama za cashgate osati zawo, choncho anthu amenewa ali ndi mulandu. Of course we heard JB akunena kuti ‘munthu akaba ndikukugawira iwe sunabe nawo’ koma Manganya amanena kuti ‘odya zake alibe mulandu’. Koma a JB zomwe munadya komanso kugawira anzanu abusa sizanu, choncho mulandu muli nawo.
Kodi Amai munakamuona Lutepo, mwana wa nchembere inzanu? Imvani chisoni Amai, pitani mukamuone m’nyamata wanu. Osaiwala magalimoto 22 omwe chipani chanu chikugwiritsa ntchito anapeleka ndi Lutepoyo.
Bwana pulezidenti imvani kulira kwa Mmalawiyu. Ngati nkotheka please pardon him. He has shown remorse while JB ndi Abusa have shown none.
Akuba ambili ogwidwa ochepa ovomeleza Lutepo opepesa lutepo winankumatukwana ine nso ndikuti matako anu nonse mukutukwana Lutepo that’s war against Kasungu fotseki zanu tatopa nanu kutinenela munthu wathu mapazi anu nonse we are failing to move forward because of evil and ungodly and unforgiving lunatics and idiots like you
Free Lutepo onena Lutepo onse mbuzi
Ndendeuli idiot ndiwe yo go to he’ll mfiti Malawi needs forgiving hearts that’s why we are warm hearted you are the one who is cold hearted amalemba ma cheque ndi Lutepo? In fact enanu ndinu agalu not Lutepo you should know that he deserves mercy
Musawone ngati a Malawi ndi opusa mukumuyipitsabe Lutepo kuti mupindule chani free Lutepo
I get surprised people hate honest people he accepted wronging malawians he apologised and you clap hands for those who refuse yet they did he paid back and you clap hands for those who will never pay back he is serving a sentence and you clap hands for those who will never taste prison yet they stole your money
What kind of justice is this ?
From what I know Lutepo revealed the culprits the information is with the judge in Zomba so if you hate him just be open dziko limadana ndi chilungamo anakuuzani kuti ndalama zomwe zinadutsa ku account ya Lutepo zinali za mankhwala ndi ndani ?
Actually cash gate should act as a wake up call to teach us to stop relying on donors
Vuto is not cash gate but failure of the government’s to stop relying on donors funding
Lutepo was smeared by politicians and his name was used for campaigning and decampaigning of each other by politicians the result being Dpp winning JB losing
His benefit was 10 % anthu omwe anadya zinazo plus 16 billion nkumakana milandu nkumapangidwa acquitted muli chete osawatukwana
Lutepo had a bright future politically and business wise he us one of the few highly intelligent people Malawi will ever had he us even presidential material being wasted in prison biggest loser are Malawians
Kodi kumukakamila Lutepo mukupindulanji a Malawi a u satana inu
Mwendato don’t talk like that drugs started missing in hospitals way back from the udf days all the way through the bingo days not because of this cash gate if personally you hate Lutepo because of the success he was or he might be God willing then you a waste the problem with you malawians is that you are engaged in the biggest jealousy war that you have no forgiving spirit like that of Jesus yet we claim to be a God fearing nation am afraid we can’t progress .
If he were a Lomwe bwezi atakhululukidwa but because he is from Kasungu you are busy talking shit anyapapi inu tiona 2019
Lutepo sama sayina ma cheque ayi only his business name was used and you deliberately portrayed him as a chief cashgate because mumafuna kupulumutsana his account laundered 4billion out of 20 billion zinazo 16 billion amene anapanga launder wo ndi Lutepo angakhale chief ndi ndani ?
Nepotism at it’s best
There must be a reason why he has the guts to ask for a pardon from Muntharika. My guess is that he has something under his cloth that has to do with the president and his rotten ministers. Lutepo, Mphwiyo, Joyce, kasambara, Goodall, Chaponda all belong in jail.
You idiots munosile etal you are the people that are so un Godly and In Christian it’s human to err and that’s why there is forgiveness if forgiveness is what ruled supreme then the death of Christ is meaningless to humanity if the imprisonment of Lutepo was to deter the would be offenders then why is theft continuing?
What I see and conclude is that everyone who is talking bad here about Lutepo is doomed for hell Ana anjoka inu just because he is not your relation or from your tribe does not mean he is worse off than you.
He never worked in government he never signed on all the 20billion cheques only his account was used to lauded 3billion and you are here saying people died because of him? Shame on Malawi and shame on munosile mwende what or kaya ndani ndinu anthu oyipa omwe mumafuna komanso muli ndi ntima wasatana agents of Satan preaching un forgiveness munthu analakwa he apologised and is asking for forgiveness and you are busy talking no sense ! I never knew Malawi to still have useless and empty minded heads like you.
Shit
He deserves to die in jail
I totally agree with many of you. Rot in jail
HE HAS TO ROT IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Lutepo is to be pardoned, then everybody who lanquishes in prison must be pardoned. Lutepo to say the truth does not deserve pardon. He is a weaked person.
Malawian you are not logical, if Lutepo stole money, it doesnt mean he has stolen from hospital he could steal from MDF, POLICE, Prison etc, so Mr President please release Lutepo.
Lutepo’s seeking presidential pardon is just a match stick that is going to trigger something big soon. Why Lutepo and why now? Lutepo is simply worried that time is running out for him to get his payback from his Dpp colleagues. The feller has simply not been rewarded for a deal he agreed with the bigwigs in Dpp to have JB arrested. He has started and we know its not the end of drama.
No honey prison is where you belong.
1. Do you how people died of you crimes and the people who used you in the crime syndicate.
2. The body is reformed but you mind honestly need a lot of prison reform.
3. You are yet to the nation how JB and others used you to short changed government coffers to enriches yourself
1. You Lutepo ‘does not deserve’ any medical attention more than anybody else
2. People are failing to get proper medical attention because of the money you stole
3. Unconditional forgiveness is for God to give. As for man, you will serve your jail sentence
4. You wasted a lot of our time and money during your trial, including kunamizira kufa myendo.
5 . You are a cold-hearted person who does not deserve anybody’s sympathy
6. You are an idiot
7. Rot in jail!!!!
Lutepo,you are a fool, do you think the suffering of Malawians because of what you did is better of than that you are going through? Malawians have died becoz of you. still others are in hospitals where no medication is provided becoz of you.
As part of seeking presidential pardon Lutepo should reveal all beneficiaries to the cashgate and submit evidence supporting such revelations. Lutepo has all records or knowledge of all dubious transactions from which Joyce benefited directly or indirectly. He also knows who in DPP are culprits. One cannot ask for presidential forgiveness and still hide key evidence.
I do agree with you, Lutepo thought that , by implicating JB he will be freed from jail now he can see that time is running out as we approach Elections,Dpp is not honoring it’s promise, the deal is going sour
Don’t fool Mutharika. Why parfon him when Joyce Banda the big fish in cadhgste is blasting at Mutharika.
Luepo you are a fool, ask Your big fish Jb to release you Rot there.
selective justice?
Lutepo rot in Prison Chaponda scort free from prison Malawi too much nepotism that stops May 21 2019
So you will release Lutepo and jail Chaponda when your MCP becomes government? Hahahaha! What idiotic thinking!