No decision to drop Muluzi charges , ACB czar says case against Malawi ex-president to continue
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director Lucas Kondowe has said the graft-busting body will continue the trial involving former president Bakili Muluzi to its logical conclusion.
Kondowe said no decision has been made to drop the corruption charges despite that the lead prosecutor Reyneck Matemba recused himself from the case and it has been draining money close to K1.7billion yet the state simply has no objective material evidence that Muluzi was siphoning from state coffers during his decade as leader of the nation.
Muluzi, who ruled the southern African country between 1994 and 2004, and his co-accused, his former personal assistant Lyness Violet Whisky,stand accused of diverting at least US$ 13 million of what the State had claimed was donor money meant for various government development projects to his personal accounts.
He denies the charges, and vehemently alleged they were pressed on him for political persecution by his successor Bingu wa Mutharika.
Court documents seen by Nyasa Times shows there is no evidence of donor aid money going into Muluzi account or siphoning of public funds.
Director for the state corruption-busting body, Kondowe said despite lead prosecutor Matemba has opted out of the case on “personal grounds”, the bureau will pursue further the matter.
He said they will put whatever material they have before court to decide, if it is not suffici ent enough they will acquit him and it’s sufficient enough they will c onvict him.
‘‘The bureau will map the way forward after reviewing the case with the legal team,’’ Kondowe said, as quoted in the press.
He insisted the case will continue.
However, Judge Mclean Kamwambe, will hear the State on how they want to proceed on May 12 before ruling on whether to discharge the case as applied by defence team led by Tamando Chokotho.
Chokhotho asked the court to discharge the Muluzi arguing the State had no prosecutor and that in criminal proceedings, there is a requirement that matters must have specific dates and that they must be heard within those specific dates.
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koma ndi2 akugwetsan chair? koma malawi!!!!!!
Personal Poverty alleviation at its climax.
A time to fire Reyneck Matemba and everyone on Muluzi’s case. How much does he get paid anyway? He needs to refund the salary for all the time spent on the Muluzi case. Who is his boss? The same applies to him or her. How many at ACB worked on the case from its onset? They ought to pay back salaries while on the case. Hold back their gratuities if they do not pay back the monies from their salaries while on the Muluzi case. Of course, you have to fire all of them soon before they mess up another… Read more »
Waba k35000 8yrs,kodi mamagestritwa ndiaja kale amaweluza kumakhoti amiyambo eti?
Mulandu wakuvutani uwu vomereani. Mutayeni chair achakulungwa KUCHIMTEKETE ACHAIR WOYEEEEE
It remains a wonder why the matured, distinguished and learned Judge Redzine Mudzikamanda was removed as ACB Director General in the first place. Mr Kondowe just like the biased Nampota seem to be completely lost as ACB Director much more than Nampota. And Nyasatimes is behaving in a funny way on this case, it has joined the defense team by claiming that there is no objective evidence against Bakili Muluzi.This is very laughable but obvious since Ken Ndanga in a working relationship with Atupele Muluzi and UDF. In case Nyasatimes has lost its memory, it is Bakili Muluzi who has… Read more »
NGANGA ASIYENI AMENEWA AZIPUMA NTCHITO ANAGWILA KALE POLANDA BOMA KWA NGWAZI DR. HASTINGS KAMUZU BANDA. NDANI AKANATHA KUPANGA ZIMENEZI NTHAWI IMENE IJA? TONSE TIMAWOPA AYUSI! ASIYENI AZILELA ZIZUKULU ZA ATUPELE
Acb is really confused within itself. Please stop dumping your rubbish on us. Until you really become independent from govt interference, your existrnce is just a waste of taxpayers money. This change of mind has come about because this dpp thieving and corrupt govt just discovered itself that it is losing credibility from Malawians and donors on its spurious barking of tackling corruption and cashgates. One stupid reason being given by those supporting thieving and corruption in this case is that donors or foreign govts don’t deposit their money into individual’s personal bank accounts. Of course they don’t. Did donors… Read more »
Very well said, Ken.
Kondowe is barking uselessly as a publicity stunt when he knows nothing will happen and the trial will be discontinued. You should have kept quiet you FOOL
ZOKOMERA WOLEMERA
NDITHU
MAUMBONI ONSEWO
CHONCHO WANA ANGATSIYE
KUBA MBOMAMU ???