MRA raids Bingu estate valuer Yeremiah Chihana: Impounds computers, files -report
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) officials accompanied by armed police officers on Friday raided offices of the government-hired valuer of the estate of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika, and went away with computers and files after a six-hour search, it has been reported.
Yeremiah Chihana,, proprietor of YMW Property Investment in Lilongwe, said officials from the public tax collector took two files, a desktop computer and a laptop computer containing information about the Bingu estate, The Nation reported on Tuesday.
The search started around 3.30pm and ended at 9.30pm and that the MRA wanted the Bingu files, according to Chihana.
MRA officials, who were five in number, produced a search warrant obtained from the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court which Chihana signed, the paper reported.
Chihana is said to have identified three of the officials through their business cards as Gerald Ngondoma, Christopher Chidammodzi and a Mrs. Mumba.
“They [MRA officials] said they wanted the Bingu estate files, but when I told them that they [files] are also available at the Registrar’s and Attorney General [AG] offices, they said they wanted to find out whether I paid tax on the fees I collected for carrying out a valuation exercise of the estate,” the paper quoted Chihana.
Chihana, who was engaged by the administration of former president Joyce Banda to evaluate Bingu’s estate in 2012, said he was not worried with the seizure of the computers, saying: “I did not receive any payment for the work I did; hence, no need to pay tax. If that is the only reason they have taken the computers, then my conscience is clear.”
According to Chihana, he got K42 million for operational expenses out of which K22 million was given to the Mutharika family.
He said: “The exercise needed extensive travels; hence, we needed the money. But for the payment of the work, I got nothing.”
Chihana valued his Bingu estate at K61 billion and said the wealth of the estate is expected to go beyond K61 billion (about $152m) after full assessment.
The assessment was disputed by the Mutharika family as an exaggeration.
Chihana said Mutharika had houses in Singapore and some property in the United States of America (USA) which he did not include in his initial assessment.
Bingu wa Mutharika died of cardiac arrest on April 5, 2012.
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fotseki
Stupid Country! An Stupid People!!!!!!! Do you think peppl of Malawi are blind? Rubbish!!!
Ralph Kasambara and Geoff Nkhata should be questioned as well. I work at the Registrar General’s Office and I saw how Ralph and Geoff manipulated figures on late Bingus Estate just to fill their pockets. Chilungamo chioneke basi!!!
thinking that chihana will also do some evaluation on the property of the mathanyula kahuna after he kept on changing how much he is worth??????????? hehedeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Malawi is poor struggles but they think the will do better with rma, never are just punishing their own people. You know government suppose to let the people who’s going out of country to come back goods money and so on to charge them fear custom duty the people who are coming home with car bakies they charged unfear duties that’s why in the country they are using bicycles as public transport this is not good at all. The person who bring their cars trucks is not only them will benefit but the government also will benefit.
MRA, MRA, police being used to cover-up the truth. Note: ‘When you twist the truth watch-out when it springs back’ .
Likely they are trying to erase the records of his brother’s theft of public funds and misuse of funds to construct a house in Europe. Peter is also trying to erase records of how he acquired wealth that he has declared. Obviously it was from his brother. He has over-blown his declaration and now he is correcting the figure. Time of accumulation of wealth may also not be when he was working in US.
Oh what a daring raid by MRA. Hope you will see this to the end and tell us what you got otherwise Uh! First how did this guy get this so mouth watering contract with government. was it through a competitive bid or rather those contracts you get from Bwandilo or Machasi. This company was in 2001 or thereabout engaged by Lilongwe City to do a valuation of Area 2 residential area for city rates and alas every entry in the roll was contested why? The question is was the valuation od the Bingu estate done in good faith or… Read more »
Kodiiiiii
Two sides of debate. One side, if Chihana did not pay tax then it shows how MRA can be used by Presidents in this stupid country. Why did MRA not get the tax then? No wonder Bingu & Peter were siphoning K70 million every two weeks. Side two, If Chihana was used by JB to put Bingu in bad reputation then Peter has the right to put the records straight. But we Malawians must look at this issue with an open mind becoz politics is a dirty game played by dirty people. When u support one side, it really shows… Read more »