Oddoi Kamange faces money laundering, theft charges in Cashgate affair – ACB

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has confirmed an earlier Nyasa Times report that it has made a fresh arrest  involving plunder of public resources widely known as Cashgate as officers have  nabbed former procurement officer for the Ministry of Tourism, Oddoi Kamange,  and the bureau is slapping him with  money laundering and theft charges.

ACB senior public relations officer Egrita Ndala confirmed the arrest —six years after he allegedly run away from facing the law.

Kamange reported left the country at the height of Cashgate trials when his name was implicated by some suspects who were later convicted.

But he returned to Malawi and has been in the country walking freely  for  almost a year before his arrest was effected.

ACB spokesperson said  Kamange is likely to be charged with two counts of money laundering contrary to Section 42(1) (c) of the Financial Crimes Act and one count of theft contrary to Section 278 of the Penal Code.

Kamange was first mentioned in court by Esnart Ndovi who became the fifth person to plead guilty to taking part in the plunder of public resources in 2013 when she admitted that her company was used to siphon K12.9 million ($23,035) from public coffers.

In her statement of plea  which the ACB prosecutor Michael Kalonga read out in court, Ndovi said she was approached by Kamange, to use her business, Fusion Limited’s registration certificate.

Ndovi said she knew Kamange as a brother in marriage whose wife stayed with her for some time and did not suspect that he wanted to use it for nefarious means.

She suspected Kamange had used the money to purchase a house in Area 12 and a Toyota Landcruiser from a businessperson.