Malawi govt seize K600mil Cashgate property, K175mil in cash

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mary Kachale  has said the seizure of property, including houses and vehicles belonging to people suspected to have taken part in the massive theft of public resources at Capital Hill is going on well as the State has so far seized property valued at K600 million and K175 million in cash.

Kachale made the disclosure after she led  officials from Ministrt of Justice who appeared  before Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Priviledges.

The top prosecutor said  the seizure has been left in the hands of the police and other law enforcing agencies while the DPP provide technical advice and grants relevant consents.

Kachale said her office  obtains seizure warrants for property suspected to be connected to Cashgate and give  the task of executing the warrants in the hands of the police.

In his presentation to the committee, George Masinga the Director of Finance and Administration in the Ministry of Justice,  said the office of DPP obtained two more convictions in Cashgate cases and confisicated K175 556 269 09 in cash and ZAR40 000 as well as US$20 000 from defendants.

“We also filed applications for confiscation orders for K800 million before the court to seize money and property which are proceeds of Cashgate offences,” Masinga said.

Government’s  profiling of civil servants’ property revealed that they own massive property including 90 percent of the houses in the affluent suburbs such as Lilongwe’s Area 23 and 47.

According to information provided by the Ministry of Lands and Housing, 90 percent of 43 and 47 are owned by civil servants who have no mortgages and cannot afford those houses on their salaries,” said Assani.