Mutharika gives Kamlepo 24 hour ultimatum over 7 cashgate ministers names

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has given Rumphi east MP Kamlepo Kalua 24 hours to bring at Kamuzu Palace the seven names of cabinet ministers named in the infamous K577 billion cashgate scam.

The angry looking Mutharika said this in Salima on Monday when he officially opened Salima Sugar Factory.

Mutharika is accused of protecting the seven cabinet ministers as they stole the public money with authority from former president, late Bingu wa Mutharika who is blood brother to the incumbent president.

“That is completely nonsense. I repeat, this is nonsense, nonsense and nonsense,” said Mutharika with interjections from singing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  women who taunted the opposition in the songs (wapalamula chiteze lero chizakuyabwa).

“I am asking the MP to bring the names within 24 hours at Kamuzu Palace or else he must shut up forever,” said Mutharika.

Kamlepo, who is the vice chairman of the powerful Public Accounts Committee is yet to respond to the president’s demand.

However, the President said he is not shielding anyone from facing prosecution on cashgate charges, let alone the said unnamed cabinet ministers.

He said he is not tolerating corruption in Malawi.

Mutharika said he even sent the chief secretary George Mkondiwa to the auditor general Stevenson Kumphasa to get the names of the cabinet ministers named in the report but came empty handed.

As the President spoke on the matter, Agriculture minister George Chaponda who is said to be named in the report, looked on.

Other suspected ministers named in the report include the powerful Labour minister Henry Mussa who has his wife as High Commissioner in Kenya and daughter who is deputy High Commissioner in Zimbabwe.

Others are Finance minister Goodall Gondwe and Energy minister Bright Msaka. Bingu is said to have amassed over K92 billion through dubious contractual agreements with Mota Engil and he is said to have stashed the money in offshore accounts.