Mphwiyo to face more cashgate charges: State ask judge to deny bail over ‘new evidence’
Paul Montfort Mphwiyo, the former budget director at the finance ministry, would obstruct justice if freed pending trial, prosecutors said at his bail hearing.
Mphwiyo remains in police custody since his arrest on Saturday as High Court is yet to rule whether he is going to be given bail or not following the state plea to the court not to give him bail.
His lawyer Shadreck Mhango applied for bail on Wednesday but the State prosecutors vehemently opposed his release.
Mhango asked the court to give Mphwiyo bail as he is already on other bail in a related cashgate offence and he is always fulfilling the requirements as such he can’t r jump bail in the latest case.
He also told the court that bail is one of his constitutional rights and he is innocent until proven guilty.
Objecting to the bail application, Deputy Director General for Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Reyneck Matemba who was representing Director of Public Prosecution, Mary Kachale who was in Blantyre for another case, urged the court not to give Mphwiyo bail as the state is yet to finalise some investigation.
Matemba told the court that they had no issues against his bail but as the end of business on Monday they came across to new vital information which they need to investigate before Mphwiyo is given bail.
He asked the court to allow the State keep Mphwiyo in Police custody as the state needs maximum of two weeks for them to finish the investigation infamous cashgate scandal and the government is determined to recover every tambala stolen.
Kachale said on Wednesday the state has discovered more issues in connection with the plunder of public resources in the infamous cashgate scandal and the government is determined to recover every Tambala stolen.
“Malawians should not think we are harassing the suspects when they see us arresting and re-arresting them. We are seeking justice,” said Kachale.
The state had made a frantic plea to Judge Esmie Chombo not to release Mphwiyo and others including former Accountant General David Kandoje.
Mphwiyo once hailed as an anti-graft crusader has been charged along with 17 other officials in the country’s widening “Cashgate” scandal which originated in 2005.
The multi-million-dollar scandal prompted foreign donors – who provide around 40% of impoverished Malawi’s budget – to pull the plug on aid worth around $150m.
Mphwiyo two years ago was shot outside his house and badly injured when he was reported to be about to expose a network of corrupt officials.
He was previously credited with overhauling the public finance system to close loopholes that allowed fraud, and for cancelling dubious government contracts.
An audit by British experts ordered by then president Joyce Banda found that $30 million had been looted in a period of less than six months in 2013 while Mphwiyo was in the powerful position of budget director.
Oswald Lutepo, the chief suspect in the fraud, was sentenced to 11 years in jail.
Judge Esmie Chombo is set to pass her verdict .
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Muli busy kuwapasa ma bail mmalo moti mumalidze ma case wa koma mukudziwa kuti MA DONOR atula zolembera pansi chifukwa cha zoputsa zomwe ma judge mukupanga, munthu othyola nyumba ndikuba katundu wambirimbiri ndikuwasiira anzake kuti zibani ine zanga ndaba kale anali oti ndi kumusiya kuti akhale pa bail next to big fish?ayi ma court a mmalawi muno mumakonda anthu omwe aba ma billion cholinga muomole papakulu “mind u judjes the government of Malalawi is going down because of u”mphwiyo should be rearrested for fast track & jailed.
Forgive him gun shot wounds are enough
government shd open a work camp/concentration camp or anything comparable to a gulag for these people to produce food all year round under irrigation using watercans,pails,the sharduff,the laborious treadle pump(don’t use motorised pumps they will be under IHL) atleast on a field 1ha per convict,they shd make manure,till,plant ,irrigate,weed,apply manure/fertilizer,harvest,dry,shell,apply actellic.these then be used to feed patients in hospitals.or else use them to make quarry for the construction of roads,schools,hospitals etc.asamakangowazako nkhuni basi they shd contribute smthng back into the economy they worked so hard to crash/disrupt maka Mphwiyoyo ati ndi hard worker atha kuphwanya kwale wambiri
KODI AKUDA AVALA TSITSI LACIZUNGUWO NDI MADAM MPHWIYO?? NDE NGONYASATU. ANAWAY POTI BAMBOWOSO NDI MOMWEMOSO, MA GOLILa looking okha okha, nanji kukhala ku ndende- no proper bath soaps- koma sopo ndimuweme wanyane mwe
Boma Limakonda Okuba Ma Billion;ali Wakuba K100,000 atamaliza kale mlanduwake atamutchaja zaka 10, tikuvutika apa kamba ka agalu amenewa
Mom Kachale no any sane Malawian says that you are harassing the wicked Mphwiyo and his mafioso friends.Infact these wicked people should be shackled in chains.The moment you leave them free on bail,they will bolt like the murderer chanthunya friend who went through our porous borders with the knowledge of corrupt immigration people.Let these evil people face the music.Mom Kachale you are a very caring courageous woman in Malawi than the big momma Joyce who is in her self imposed exile.She spoke highly of these thieves and she must be shitting wherever she is hiding.Arrest all these scum of cashgate… Read more »
mai kachare amasuta wankulu kapena ayi
They are murders nawonso aphedwe
Ya muluzi too
You stupid lawyers, Stop protecting these robbers. sometimes I feel like your best supporters of this cash gate because of your greedy and selfishness.