UK backed corruption audit exonerates Joyce Banda: Malawi govt releases Cashgate names

Malawi Government on Thursday publicly released the much-awaited Baker Tilly forensic audit report into state funds that had been stolen by corrupt officials containing names of companies and individuals but contrary to popular smear former president Joyce Banda and former vice president Khumbo Kachali names are not there.

Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu told the media when he presented the comprehensive report that investigations into cashgate were still on-going.

The report showed that $30m was stolen in six months from April to September in 2013.

Tembenu who was flanked by Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa and deputy Auditor General Langton Gomani, said the report was authentic and not doctored in any form.

He stressed that the report was not an indictment of anybody but investigations into how government lost billions.

“The report is not a court judgment and should be treated as an investigative report. Most of the names here are already in the public domain and these people are answering cases in court,” Tembenu said.

The names revealed were already in public domain and recently exposed on Nyasa Times report.

s Clive Engineering Company  of   Dennis Mwezi Mhango which cashed MK20,800,078.61;   Covs Landscape Recreation and Nurseries of Omer Daudi Fane Chitipi collected  MK30,965,868.40 and Super Signs  of Alex Black Nyemba got MK600,000.00.

The report also mentions indicted Stafford Mpoola.  He was charged with money laundering and being found in possession of property suspected to have been stolen in a case involving about K1.6 billion.

Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Mpoola in October 2013 after he was suspected to be involved in siphoning money amounting to K1, 113,397,413.31 from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) through his company, Stadal Building Construction.

Mpoola was charged with money laundering and being found in possession of property suspected
to have been stolen in a case involving about K1.6 billion.

Also mentioned in Kettie Chingoli Kamwangala of Explorations with a cheque payment of   MK16, 750,600.00. She was already charged with money laundering and theft of K28 million (about $70 000) from government and pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The list includes Kaneno Building Contractors with Thokas Satema, Zefaniya Satema and  Ndaona Satema collecting cheques of  MK 27,359,630.43;  MK60,142,560.00;  MK55,182,612.31 and – MK52,466,530.89

Whayo Panel Beating services of Ellard Whayo at Biwi Triangle in Lilongwe appear in the list with K91, 000.00.

Others suspected include Afro Oriental Investments of Jan Davidse, Barbara Ndhlozi, John Douglas Spenser Gray, Hanifa Thomas with payment of MK1, 816,000.00 12. Walusako General Dealers involving Irene Nhlane Zimukilre Mwenechanya and Julia Banda

The list also has Sky engineering of Steven Golden Mwenitete; Dan Civil engineering contractors of Daniel Ndembo, Ziuya construction of Mzipasi Moyo; Standard Freight Services of Patrick Chilalika and Faith Construction Company of Angella Katengeza.

Appearing in the cashgate list also are Megan Construction with MK15 million payment to Doreen Nyirenda and Khumbo Mkandawire; Hardline construction company of  Phyoka Oscar Kaunda – MK17,395,431.20 and Mk15 million to Makhausi constructions of  Fatch Chungano.

Other ‘cashgate’ names in the list are already facing the charges including Sibongile Chimphango, Caroline Savala and Laura Savala.

Businessperson Caroline Savala accused of obtaining about K84.9 million (about $213 000) from Malawi Government pleaded not guilty to the two charges of theft and money laundering.

Building contractor, Laura Savala, is accused of siphoning K160.6 million (about $401 500) through the Ministry of Tourism between July and September this year.

Sibongile Chimphango is accused of stealing K286 million (about $715 000) for payment of services not rendered to government.

However, the appendices contained in the report are missing a list of individuals linked directly or indirectly to cashgate and charts showing links between individuals and businesses involved in cashgate.

The report says nearly half of the money went to 16 private companies for services they did not provide.

It says this was done by taking advantage of a loophole in the government’s financial management system.

Timeline of theft

• April 2012: Joyce Banda becomes president of Malawi.
• September 2013: Former state budget director Paul Mphwiyo is shot at his home and airlifted to South Africa. He survives.
• September 2013: Malawi newspapers break the story of the ¬massive looting of public funds.
• September 2013: President Banda hires London firm Baker Tilly to audit suspected government departments.
• October 2013: Police arrest the first Cashgate suspect, Victor Sithole, who is found with bags of cash at his house after a tip-off from his domestic worker.
• October 2013: The anticorruption bureau arrests three other civil servants, a contractor and the principal secretary for tourism, Triza Senzani.
• October 2013: Banda fires her Cabinet, accusing some government officials of looting.
• November 2013: The chief suspect in the Cashgate scandal, Oswald Lutepo, hands himself over to the police after being flagged on Interpol’s most wanted persons list.
• January 2014: The anti corrup-tion bureau institutes an investigation and arrests more suspects.
• September 2014: The anticorruption bureau arrests Mphwiyo and his wife on allegations that he stole $5-million. He is charged with money laundering and theft. October 2014: The high court in Lilongwe jails Senzani for three years. She becomes the first Cashgate suspect to be jailed.
• October 2014: Lutepo links Banda to Cashgate, saying phone transcripts will prove his innocence. The court grants an order for Banda’s calls to be examined.

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