Malawi govt insists on K1tn heist: Challenge DPP to state how much it looted
Malawi government has made an impassioned appeal to the erstwhile ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to provide it with a contrary figure on the amount of money the Peter Mutharika administration plundered during the six years it was in power after the party claimed President Chakwera exaggerated the over K1 trillion (over $1 billion) was stolen through corruption.
Leader of Opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa, told a news conference that DPP did not steal K1.3 trillion from the poor and struggling taxpayers.
Nankhumwa disputed that the figure Chakwera mentioned on Saturday is contained in the recent Auditor General’s report which looks into how the government managed its finances for the past two years.
But President Chakwera executive assistant and spokesperson Sean Kampondeni said if Nankhumwa disputes that K1 trillion was mismanaged or stolen, then he should tell Malawians the correct amount that as siphoned under his party’s watch.
“Since he deems himself to have a better grasp of the extent of theft under the DPP regime than the State President, let him enlighten Malawians about what exactly his party stole and mismanaged in the nine-years it was in power,” said Kampondeni.
He said Malawi has suffered years of DPP rule.
Chakwera said the scale of the plunder is worse than a 2013 corruption scandal known as Cash gate in which about $32 million government money was looted through dubious contracts, during the administration of former president Joyce Banda.
Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako, who is also government spokesperson, also said is President Chakwera exaggerated the depth and breadth if the plunder, then the DPP should state the correct figure it looted from the public coffers.
“That is our figure as government. That is what we have got. It will be helpful to us if we hear from them how much they looted. I am sure they have their own figure which may help us to compare,” Kazako said.
The minister emphasized that the Tonse Alliance government is energized by the response from the DPP, stressing that it is a clear sign of confession that the loot happened.
Kazako assured Nankhumwa that the incumbent administration is eager to work with the DPP leadership in bringing to book everyone that looted public money.
A University of Malawi’s Chancellor College political scientist Ernest Thindwa faulted Nankhumwa and the DPP refuting the looting claim, saying DPP should stop showing its arrogance and being unrepentant or unconcerned with one of the greatest heist in Malawi.
Meanwhile, in the TimesTalk phone-in programme on Times Radio on Tuesday, over 30 callers also asked Nankhumwa to provide a contrary figure of the looted resources.
Many callers argued that whether the figure is correct or not is pointless but the fact is that there was mismanagement of public funds under Peter Mutharika’s rule including during his brother Bingu wa Mutharika DPP-led administration and that Malawians also witnessed the massive plunder of duns that former president Joyce Banda and her People’s Party, now member of the Tonse Alliance led by Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Political analyst Humphreys Mvula has said it’s time for the Chakwera administration to show that no one is immune in the fight against corruption.
“The only time we are going to fight corruption is when we hold those people in the highest offices accountable,” he said. “We should not look at Mutharika as just a former president. But now that his immunity has gone, if he was involved or leads, lead to his office, he should be arrested. It is the only time in life that people will be afraid of corruption.”
President Chakwera initiated the crackdown on corruption after Mutharika lost the June 23rd presidential vote.
Several people have so far been arrested in connection to offenses committed during Mutharika’s administration. The DPP, now the main opposition party, says the campaign amounts to political persecution — allegations the new administration denies.
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Bring facts, clueless Chakwera.
You clean the plate and then you can eat with happiness so late then clean the nyakanyaka and work go on our president
According to agulupa achakwera, revenue under-collection is equal to stealing. Failure to dispose off iddle assets is equal to stealing. Anything covered by the Auditor General’s report is equal to stollen resources. That is according to the thinking of abusa a Chakwera. Hahahaha 😂 this kind of thinking is surely laughable. Surprisingly Gospel Kazako also thinks like pedegu Chakwera on this matter. Kikiki Tonse ulendo kuphompho kuti leeewuuu dishaa!!!
DPP, tell us the correct figure.
Just read the Auditor General’s report again and you will figure out what was stollen and what was not stollen. Is failure to collect revenue mentioned in the Auditor General’s report tantamount to stollen resources? Chakwera only looked at the total figure in the report but he didn’t know the origin or the meaning of that figure. Kodi akumwa mowa wamtundu wanji a Chakwera?
Also pp nawonso amangidwe
Kazako is too childish in his responses. He doesn’t fit well in the position.
Wasting time on nonsense things
We need your promises
University school must be lowered per Tonse alliance campaign.
We need some factories per ur promise.
We need our 1000000 jobs per ur.
According to promises Tonse alliance assured the voters that the money is in the government.
Pano mwadabwa mwapezamo ndalama mlibemo,
Now starting pointing fingers to our old style.
Shouldn’t they collect that stolen money and use it for the promised? No body knew or let alone tried to confront DPP back then. You couldn’t ask them for lower fees then because you were scared of Cadets. Let the guys run the country best way they know how. Mind you they can’t do their work without cleaning up first. Why are you people interfering so much.
There is a reason why Auditors give Audit Opinions and raise Audit Querries. Opinions are opinions and Querries are raised to be responded to. But Presidents being politicians will use opinions and querries to gain political milage. Roll out Forensic fiscal investigations and take people to court and we will believe these figures.
For sure that will come. For now I’d suggest you keep quite and watch the drama unfold. If you need evidence, you can watch the houses these morons built and cars they are driving. Civil servant salary my foot.
I said it previously and I repeat it now,corruption isn’t the only reason why we are poor,it is good to curb it and seal the leaking hole but if our aim is to achieve meaningful development in Malawi we need to do more than that.The fight towards corruption is commendable but let us know that still it comes at the expense of the taxpayers money, let’s strive for a balance where our atmost energy should be rested at propelling an economic drive and achieve the much touted developments. If so many people will be arrested but so much of our… Read more »
No need for any debate or arrogance and smartness from Sean, Gospel.. bring facts like Nankhumwa has brought.. dispute his claims with facts like he has done.. zo shiner ife tilibe nazo ntchito.. za mwano ife tatopa nazo.. mwamva!
Which facts were brought by Nankhumwa? Did he not just parrot the same auditor general report Chakwera made reference to? Don’t you have a brain that you can interrogate yourself about the reason behind both Gertrude and Chisale becoming overnight billionaires? Is that not reason enough for you to say waiting a minute how come these people amassed a lot of wealth? Come on now you can do better than this boss.
How much did DPP loot? Fair question.