Mphwiyo paid Kumwembe for his shooting, Pika tells court

Pika Manondo, the second accused person in the shooting of former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo, the court that he got the K300 000 from the gunshot survivor to give to alleged shooter Macdonald Kumwembe.

Kumwembe, a former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier and Pika Manondo are charged in the shooting alongside private practice lawyer Ralph Kasambara.

During cross-examination by Kasambara on Wednesday, Manondo told the  court that Mphwiyo gave Kumwembe K300 000 ($433) for a “party matter” but he gave it to his brother- Dauka Manondo – to make the deposit in his bank account.

Dauka was acquitted on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder and when he testified as defence witness for Kumwembe, he  told the High Court in Lilongwe that Mphwiyo and his brother Pika  were together  in South Africa to strike a deal worth $145 million (about K58 billion)  with Paramount Group, Africa’s largest private defence and aerospace firm.

Paramount Group signed deals with the Malawian government for agriculture, fuel and military contracts through a network of investment firms.

High Court Judge Michael Ntambo heard that Pika and Mphwiyo were in South Africa for a week and returned home a few days before the shooting.

The shooting could have been a deal gone sour, according to the theory and revelations made by Dauka.

He also said that prior to the shooting, Mphwiyo had asked Dauka to find him two house to buy within the ranges of K150 million and K200 million.

Dauka and Pika were directors of Regit Auctioneers and Estate Agents.

However, on the deposit Dauka made, the court heard that he falsified the name of the depositor and telephone number.

But Pika Manondo confirmed that the money came from Mphwiyo.

“The money came from the victim. If it came from him, then Mr Mphwiyo paid his friend Kumwembe to go shoot him,” said Pika.

Kasambara  was exonorated   from the transaction and the charge he is facing of conspiracy to commit murder.

“My lord, the third accused [Kasambara] was not involved in that transaction,” said Pika.

Mphwiyo was shot outside the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe on September 13 2013, a shooting which is believed to have exposed the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill that came to be known as Cashgate.

The case continues.