Mutharika not aware of 7 rotten ministers in Cashgate audit- State House

President Peter Mutharika will not fire any minister despite demands to axe seven reportedly implicated in the ‘grand corruption’ financial analysis report, State House has said.

Presidential spokesman Mgeme Kalilani said Mutharika is not aware of  any ministers involved in the mismanagement of the public funds.

“We have to put the matter in proper prespective here. The President in not aware of any minister named in the Cashgate forensic audit,” Kalilani said during Daybreak Malawi program aired on Capital Radio Monday morning.

“As far as the President is concerned he is not ware of any name of minister implicated,” stressed Kalilani.

But despite names of the Cashgate suspects being kept under wraps by the Auditor General, Stepheson Kamphasa, the details of individuals allegedly implicated have been coming out in public domain with one online publication Malawi Newsnow mentioning what it claimed was the  ‘list of shame’.

In parliament last week, Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire (PP) mentioned leader of the house George Chaponda as one of the  rotten ministers .

Chaponda denied any involvement.

Mkandawire said the ministers know themselves and are seving cabinet with Cashgate guilt,  sayingif they have any integrity – as one of the three pillars of national development – should no longer hold their positions.

“These Cabinet ministers know themselves and if they have a shred of honour, they should have resigned until investigations on the matter are over,” up-front talking Mkandawire said.

One of the ministers, Henry Mussa , has also been forced  to plead innocence after he was linked to the plunder.

“Out of seven cabinet ministers, why singling Henry Mussa? Where are the other five apart from Chaponda who has been named? This is a joke. I know it is a personal vendetta planned by my detractors to destroy my political career, image and credibility,” Mussa said.

He challenged anyone “to bring evidence” against his alignment into the cashgate report.

“My conscious is telling me that my hands are clean,” said Mussa.

“These detractors must go to hell and die there as their evil intentions won’t achieve anything. Let me assure the general public that soon the real culprit of this massive looting will be known to them,” fumed Mussa.

Revelations of the K577 billion cashgate came hot on the heels of a forensic audit report by British firm, RSM (formely called Baker Tilly), that established that K24 billion was looted from Capital Hill between April and September 2013 under the administration of Joyce Banda and her People’s Party (PP).

Banda is on record saying “ There must be a stubborn link between the MK577 billion scandal of 2009 and 2012 and the MK20 billion cashgate of 2013.”

The K577 billion cashgate audit report will be a stern test to President Peter Mutharika committement to fight corruption without fear or favour.

Corruption in Malawi is severe, well-known, cuts across many sectors, and is frequently debated and discussed in the media.

Such corruption undermines human rights in multiple ways: a direct defiance of the rule of law and accountability. By unlawfully interfering with resources that should be available to realize fundamental rights such as the rights to health, water, food, and education—either through illegally appropriating public funds for personal wealth or rendering access to services subject to bribes, which are illegal—corruption leads to violations of human rights that may have disastrous consequences.

Observers also note that lack of political will has crippled Malawi’s anti-corruption  bureau, undermining their efforts through political interference and threats.

Given Malawi’s political patronage system, it is highly unlikely that President Mutharika will put his trusted ministers in the dock .

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