Malawi Parliament tells ACB to speed up Cashgate cases: Chaponda’s cashback explained
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has told the graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to speed up all cashgate related cases, saying the successful prosecution of the convicts can lead to the recovery of the money.
Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Maxwell Thyolera said the K30 billion looting of money at Capital Hill, the seat of government in Lilongwe should not take years as was the case with the infamous K187 million ministry of Education loot involving the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary general Grazider Jefrey and former vice president Cassim Chilumpha.
“The cases can be a drain on public resources if they take long to prosecute. We want prosecutors to fast track the prosecution of all the cash-gate related cases,” said Thyolera.
Director of the ACB Reyneck Matemba told the meeting in Lilongwe on Tuesday that sometimes the prosecution of corruption cases are delayed because of lack of resources.
“But corruption cases are very complex, complicated therefore we have to take time to do the right things if we are to secure conviction,” he said.
The meeting took place at a time when the State wants to take to court politicians allegedly involved in the cash-gate cases, including former president Joyce Banda who jets into the country on Saturday.
ACB spokesperson Egritta Ndala said earlier that the investigations on Banda continues.
Chaponda cash back
During the meeting, ACB also provided answers on why it returned K29 million to sacked Agriculture minister George Chaponda, saying it was in respect to the court order.
On April 9 2018, the magistrate’s court sitting in Zomba ordered the ACB to return the money it confiscated at Chaponda’s house in Lilongwe’s Area 10 last year.
Chaponda, who is a member of the committee, was asked to move out of the meeting room before the discussion on the matter started.
“ACB clarified that the K29 million that was given back was not part of the K95 million which was money for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and that the K29 million was not part of that count,” Thyolera said.
After a session with the lawmakers, Matemba said he was “happy” that the MPs “understood” why the decision was made.
“These are cases that unnecessarily expose government to litigation,” Matemba, who became head of the ACB last year after serving as deputy director general for several years, said.
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Wasting your time with this ACB
ACB just like the Police Forensic & Fraud Unit don’t take PAC seriously. As PAC you have never been good at reinforcing your turf. You are like a useless body without teeth. Until you make an example of one any public-interest case, no one will take you guys (PAC) seriously either. At the moment the government is wasting money in paying you a salary. Get an external forensic audit company to do your job. We know how this K30 billion looting is going to end. It will be protracted by ACB useless investigators and then handled by by another set… Read more »
ACB tendering weak evidence deliberately… Oh poor Malawi
Some people just wanted ‘kuthana’ ndi Chaponda, lero ndi izi, mukusowa umboni mu court. That’s another compensation coming.
If people can’t see that this a DPP looting and elaborate machine then we are also blind as citizens. DPP has created, over the years, a complex web of looting system that even a trained eye won’t be able to detect. You just have to listen to DPP leadership to figure it out. The language they sue is that of guilty people. Malawi is going nowhere with these people especially with millions and millions of uneducated and disfranchised people voting for these corrupt parties. Malawi needs a change of politics outside this Kamuzu Banda-type of governing. Our old and current… Read more »
In Sidick Mia’s words “amayi oyenda ngati bakha” akubwera
So what
How does your mother walk if you have any?
Mwina pa Joyce Banda mutolapo kanthu koma za George Chaponda muiwalepo.ndi munthu olimba mtima.Tikakhala enafe titagwa ndi BP polingalira kuti nkhani zimenezi zinapekedwa ndi anzake ku DPP komweko.
If George Chaponda wins this case I will personally ask him to run for the presidency of this country simply because that will mean he is a survivor and nothing can come his way. DPP ndi Boma!
ACB has failed on the Chaponda case! Bring concrete evidence or let him free!
ACB might have failed but evidence still exist. it will come out at the right time. This is a digital world where communication, whether voice or digital messaging, can be accessed. So I suggest that Chaponda shut his mouth and also achimwene Chiku Chakwana SC
Akupangitsa delay ndi ACB yomweyo because they don’t have enough eveidence against Chaponda.
The investigators are 3rd rated and so are the prosecutors. The case is too complicated for our unskilled investigators. Its easy for them to bungle the case and be paid handsomely for it.