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.

Former president Mutharika and Mrs Gertrude Mutharika: Accounts frozen

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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APM akulira
APM akulira
3 years ago

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

A New Day
A New Day
3 years ago

Adzalira wawawawawawawaw!

Neno
Neno
3 years ago

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.

Noxy
3 years ago

Tonse government heading to uknown destination

APM akulira
APM akulira
3 years ago
Reply to  Noxy

Pitirizani kulira bambo

97AC3DEC-1DBE-48A3-898D-6291AA791CF1.jpeg
Mofolo
Mofolo
3 years ago

ACB seems you have not learn your lessons from the Muluzi case. Stop Politically Motivated Prosecutiins

Kelvin Bazale Dembo
Kelvin Bazale Dembo
3 years ago

#Institutional or #Organisational Construction of Reality functioning

Chilima
Chilima
3 years ago

Ndiye mupangenso ndi ya ine ndemwe agalu inu.But warning to Laz uzaona malodza when you shall step in my territory

Peter Mutharika ndi PHWALA
Peter Mutharika ndi PHWALA
3 years ago
Reply to  Chilima

What will you do? Za zi!

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APM akulira
APM akulira
3 years ago
Reply to  Chilima

Palibe chomwe ungachite galu iwe!

Chilima
Chilima
3 years ago
Reply to  APM akulira

Watch this space nyani iwe..

Joshua
Joshua
3 years ago

Prince of THIEVES….Pitala.

Moya
Moya
3 years ago

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
.

Last edited 3 years ago by Moya
Aneneli Onyenga
3 years ago

MCP nkhanza! Tikukuwonanitu!!.

Madando Tippex
Madando Tippex
3 years ago

Ubibidwa uwona, kuzolowera kuba. Ndiye tsunami weniweni kuba kuyambira prezidenti ndi akazi ake.

Chabwela
Chabwela
3 years ago

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.… Read more »

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