Malawi freezes bank accounts of ex-president Mutharika, wife Gertrude
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), acting in a graft investigation, has frozen bank accounts held by former president Peter Mutharika and his wife his wife Gertrude Mutharika after noticing strange withdraws in the course of the investigations it is carrying out.
The bureau has also ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of former Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Deputy Director General Roza Mbilizi, and Mutharika’s top security aide Norman Chisale.
The four are being investigated in a corruption affair involving the controversial importation of K5 billion worth of cement allegedly using Mutharika duty-free status for sitting presidents.
According to ACB sources, they have frozen two Mutharika accounts; one that is solely owned by the former president and another, a joint account with his wife.
Mutharika’s personal secretary Linda Salanjira declined to comment on the matter, saying the former president’s lawyers would be best placed to speak to.
Mutharika’s lawyers Frank Mbeta and Samuel Tembenu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The former president has previously rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, as he denied to have bought nor instructed anyone to buy or import the cement in question.
According to Mutharika, he did not, as he could not, request the Malawi Revenue Authority to invoke any of his privileges to clear the alleged consignment of cement duty- free.
“Further, the former President was never at any point undertaking any construction project (s) requiring such substantial volumes of cement,” his secretary said in a statement.
Nyasa Times understands that former first lady Gertrude Mutharika had however construction projects.
Before Mutharika was ousted from power in the June 23 fresh presidential election, State House and MRA on June 16 justified the transaction as “within the law”, as it was for personal use.
ACB has also frozen one account for Chisale and three accounts for Roza Mbilizi at NBS Bank, National Bank and Standard Bank.
Chisale’s lawyer Chancy Gondwe said he does not have details of the frozen accounts.
Meanwhile, there are fears that serious capacity challenges facing State agencies including ACB may inevitably lead to compromised processes such as inadequate investigations that may result in failed prosecutions.
Private practice lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa described as an unhealthy situation at ACB where the graft-busting body’s director general Reyneck Matemba is mostly the one moving from one court to the next because of capacity challenges.
He said it is therefore important to” enhance capacity” in all law enforcement agencies not just in terms of human resource but also funding.
The ACB boss who described the level of plunder of public resources in the immediate past administration as a ‘Tsunami’ said his office already approached government on the issue of inadequate funding and authorities have undertaken to look into the issues and address them.
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Panopa ndikhoza kumutukwana PETER MUTHARIKA za mkabudula. Palibe chomwe boma lingandichite. PETER MUTHARIKA panopa is just some stupid old man living in Mangochi. Ma cadet olo mukwiye chotani, the only thing you can do is kunditukwana. PETER MUTHARIKA
Adzalira wawawawawawawaw!
THIS PEOPLE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE BUYING THE DOLLARS ON THE BLACK MARKET AND IN THE MONEY BUREAUS AS WELL….MAKING THE DOLLAR TO BE ON A VERY HIGH RATE ON THE BLACK MARKET THAN IN THE BANK.
Tonse government heading to uknown destination
Pitirizani kulira bambo
ACB seems you have not learn your lessons from the Muluzi case. Stop Politically Motivated Prosecutiins
#Institutional or #Organisational Construction of Reality functioning
Ndiye mupangenso ndi ya ine ndemwe agalu inu.But warning to Laz uzaona malodza when you shall step in my territory
What will you do? Za zi!
Palibe chomwe ungachite galu iwe!
Watch this space nyani iwe..
Prince of THIEVES….Pitala.
How much money was withdrawn already before freezing the account?why act after money has been taken out already? Was someone sleeping on the job or intentionally waiting for money to be withdrawn first before freezing the account? On the positive its a step towards the right direction but we can do better by being a step ahead of the “thieves” cmon ACB
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MCP nkhanza! Tikukuwonanitu!!.
Ubibidwa uwona, kuzolowera kuba. Ndiye tsunami weniweni kuba kuyambira prezidenti ndi akazi ake.
Nkhanza ndi za Bwampini.
Ntheradi kubela a Malawi all the way from USA?
A well known intellectual man and got a highly doctrines
But all that coming to rob poor Malawians, shame.
We would really enjoyed Peter’s experiences he won from USA to develop Malawi
As America is the leading economic aorta at all world countries,
Peter would bring a such mechanism to uplift Malawi falling economy, but
He came to empoverish innocent Malawians.
He is the third educated man in African heads of states
But coming with immediate tactics of corruption to Rob Malawians for their hard earned money.
Don’t blame the mighty MCP as Tonse Alliance bearer administration as they has given the collecious Task
They are cleaning the rubbles out which the UDF/ DPP left behind on Malawians.
Peter has made Malawi and Malawians morempoore than the colonial era.
MCP ilibe nkhanza as ur raw propagandist to disowned hope and interests from idle unique Malawians.
Let the justice drives Malawians forward.
Bravo. Now let ACB hopefully will be professional and trace who paid Mutharika and Gertrude the money. Then freeze the accounts of those who paid the money to Mutharika and why? The money on Mutharika’s and wife’s bank account is surely bribery received from the Mwenyes.
kodi pitala anali ndi property yanji ku US kapena anangoti anazipezerera za ulele. Anaonera Muluzi then Bingu. zaacimwene.
I wonder if he had Morgage in the US and if he finished paying it off or amachita share accomodation .I wonder what this material past finances were.. anatipomboneza nkulu wake uja. property ili ku mozambiki ija nanga!!!
u crook anthuwa bwanji.
tidzaonongeza za state funeral?
IDHIOT ndi ma gold digger azake onseo
Ziyabuya izindaba
A publicity stunt after cases hit a snug.
Anyenyenitu 👏🏽
Ingonenani kuti palibe umboni instead of saying capacity issues. You swallow before chewing that’s why you end up choking. Even mpinganjira akanikani kuti muyambe prosecution daily adjourn. Acb is just political tool to be used against the opposition. Bingu used it against bakili, jb used it against Bingu estate, Peter simply killed it and chakwera is using it against opposition.
ACB is one of the tools being used by Tonse Govt to persecute the immediate past administration. But be aware u r setting a very bad precedent. Mulingo omwe mukuyezera anzanu pano, Nanunso azakuyezerani omwe wo. If U Guys were serious about fighting corruption, u would have treated all corrupt cases the same. There is evidence against Joyce Banda. Lutepo has repeated this time and again. Why have the ACB done nothing? Why r Govt Agencies only targeting DPP folks? Selective justice is justice denied.
Let precedence be set and make sure that ACB operates independently as a constitutional body mandated by the act of parliament. What is important is to follow through all these steps so that either Tonse Alliance led administration or subsequent administrations to come do not torpedo such.
DPP had 6 years to prosecute JB but they did not despite what you say as clear evidence from Lutepo. MCP/UTM has only been in power for 2 months,give them time they should investigate.after all,clear evidence is there from Lutepo which DPP failed to see
We don’t want the current administration to plunder like their immediate predecessors. We don’t want thieves masquerading as leaders. Whoever loots, whether Tonse guys, during their reign should face the law _ clear…..
If matemba is honest can he pursue the issue of million litres of fuel stolen at Escom. I am told Gaffer is in the thick of it and he used to help UTM with fuel and money hence he was appointed as minister to the surprise of all.
Just wondering, why does ACB always come after massive plunder? Why can’t they try to notice these things in the course of happening. Its always after someone comes out of government which is usually too late to recover all this. We hear more talks than recovery of money.
What a world we live in. Mulungu sataya ovutika ndi pondelezedwa for only few individuals happiness. Dziko la anthu ili osati la munthu mmodzi. Time to dance to the tune🕺yomwe munapanga record in studio during ur time.
You betray our vote of trust Mr Ex President. Lessons tonour current leader. Majombo aja tinasunga 4 any nonsense doings tikumatchaso if need be.
Great News! Let’s continue to drain the swamp
This is not fair on Peter. The likes of Gertrude, Chisale, and others deserve, but Peter should have been investigated fully first.
MY OPINION.
What do you mean by “investigated fully first”. According to accounts on Nyasa Times, Police have interrogated Peter twice. Those count as investigations. And it is not even the number of times police interrogate an individual that count, but rather what information they gather during those interrogations, combined with other related investigations. Further, the ACB has noted suspicious activity on his account(s).
Aliyense anaba people’s money or public money should pay back the money and the citizens should know how much,zomabitsa mafigures sibwino, chifukwa anthu ena asazibeso ndalamazo, chifukwa malawinso ali ndi zimbava mubomamu,mapoliticians and ma civil servants.
Big Kahuna