Police quiz Lutepo’s wife: Kasambara, Manondo now face K785m cashgate charges
Getrude Lutepo, wife to chief cashgate suspect Oswald Lutepo was picked by Fiscal Police in Blantyre on Wednesday for interrogation on her husband’s involvement in the scam, as Nyasa Times recently reported that Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had threatened an arrest on her and Lutepo’s daughter.
The top prosecutor warned Lutepo that he risks having his wife Gertrude and daughter Wongani arrested and charged for corruption as they are directors of his cashgate tainted companies International Procurement Services (IPS) and O and G construction.
And this week, Fiscal Police pounced on Lutepo’s wife and questioned her.
“It is true my wife together with other directors of some of my companies were invited and questioned by the Fiscal Police in Blantyre,” Lutepo confirmed.
Director of Public Prosecutions Kachale disclosed that the State is still investigating activities of Lutepo’s company.
Arrest details
Lutepo was arrested in November last year for money laundering after he allegedly pocketed $6 million from government coffers through ghost companies which did not provide any services to the state.
He is also charged with perjury after sending a letter to the Attorney General claiming he was threatened and told not to implicate Banda in the “Cashgate” allegations, the biggest financial scandal in the history of the small southern African country.
“Cashgate” erupted after an audit ordered by former president Banda found that about K20 billion in state funds had been looted by officials in less than six months last year.
The scandal led international donors to suspend aid to Malawi, where half of its 15 million people live below the poverty line.
Amended charges
Meanwhile, published reports indicate that the prosecution has amended and reduced to K785 million the amount which Malawi former Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo and businessperson Oswald Lutepo are answering on money laundering and obtaining money by false pretence.
According to Weekend Nation , the new charge sheet signed by the special public prosecutor on Cashgate, Kamudoni Nyasulu, the three have been charged with money laundering involving K785 million for Kasambara, Manondo and Lutepo and obtaining money by false pretences as count two,
In count one, Kasambara, Lutepo and Manondo have been charged with conspiracy to Section 35 (i) (d) of the Money Laundering Act.
Count four has Lutepo, Manondo then Kasambara and lawyer Wapona Kita trading as Ralph & Arnolds Associates charged with money laundering involving K55 million.
The amended charge for count three now reads: “Raphael Kasambara, Oswald Lutepo and Pika Manondo between 26 July and August 2013 at Standard Bank Ginnery Corner Branch in the city of Blantyre, acting in concert and furtherance of a common unlawful purpose, each or the others or all of them had in their possession proceeds of crime, namely seven hundred eighty five million one hundred and five thousand kwacha (K785 105 000.00) which they knew or had reason to believe represented in a whole or in part directly or indirectly money stolen or unlawfully obtained.”
New president Peter Mutharika has vowed to get to the “truth” of the crisis, which is said to have originated in 2005 when his late brother was the country’s leader.
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I want to c these guys locked up and shame on Kasambala and Manondo they wives ll be enjoying with there boy frnds
Amalawi tiyeni tisiye nkhaniyi. Chomwe ndikuwona apa ndikusangalatsa azungu. Pano dzikoli tikuyendesa tokha ndi misonkho yathu, bwanji tipange maintain zero dfct. Koma boma liyike controlling measures. Azunguwa atizolowera. Ma victim wa akawina boma lidzawononga zambiri kuwapepesa.
Ndatopa ndi nkhaniyi ndikufuna ndisiye kuitsata. Jail these guyz then muone umo malawi asinthilenge.
Kasambala winning
SORRY NDIKULEPHERA KUNENA ZA IZI SHAME !!!!!!!!.
All involved in the cashgate scandal should be arrested and their ill gotten properties be confiscated.The bank managers should also be taken to task without questioning such collosal sum of money entering into these thieves accounts.Why do we Malawians worship thieves?They should never see sunlight in their lifetime.Lock them up and throw away the keys in shire river.
Masalamusi awu Munthu, why involve your family in this Manyi ??? I wonder
Na apa RK walowa kale ku prison…kkkkk…when you come out mkazi wako ali ndi baby wa 10 years old.
Mwatizolowera Mwamva!!!
kodi ma banki manejala amapereka vindalamavo muwatani? nili udabwatu ine zedi. nimasuleni.
ndine wakumudzi ndiye sinzitsata kwenkweni za m’ma bankizi koma nimanguyesa kuti vindalama votapa vikachuluka, obwana obankiwo omayenela kudabwapo kanthu nkuletsa kutapako nkunena kuti vachuluka vima wanisauandevi tikumangani pompano
Inu mukuti 785milion? Mulungu wamva mapemphelo a munthu aanthu osauka! Guyz osamvera chison anthu amenewa. Nthawi yokumva zowawa yafika aziwone!!
bwanji amalawi timasankha anthu okuba? fuck them!
These guys asuta chamba chabwino kwambiri supplied by ‘malawi gold magazine’ on facebook
Zomvetsa chisoni ndalama zankhaninkhani za boma kubedwa iwo kumaoneka ngati mashasha ntaunimu ndi ndalama za boma amphawi kuchita kusowa panado mu zipatalamu eeeesh!!! Mukuonjeza nchifukwa cha zaka 50 palibe chikusintha,ndalamazi onse okhuzidwa ndi cashgate pliz abweze amphawi atopa nanu mbava zophunzira mxieeeest.
Chilungamo chiyende ngati madzi pankhani imeneyi basi.
Charges emanating from heading a company. Is a strong case. I think they are just workers and not even accomplices
Quota system, Lutepo’s wife and daughter are not workers but company owners. Even if they were workers they should have known that the money entering the accounts where stollen.
Peter mutharika’s bigness shall be openly seen if he manages not only to arest these murderers but also to get back wat they ow us
mwandiwonjeza mwamva?
kulanga kwa kale amayenela kukhomedwa zikhomo so that they shldnt go to the toilet again anthu amenewa
speechless!!!!!!
ngati nkaziyo akukhuzidwa umboni wapezeka akalowe basi
You need to wait guys, rushing s with accusations will not pay. The charge sheet has changed, it is not even a billion in question.
Wait and see how this will be argued out before the three are locked!
What is this amount compared to the 92bn that missed during Mutharika’s Regime?
Mbava zili Ku capital hill, awanso ndi mbava. Onse ndi mbava.
Musawasiye please chonde.
kunena zoona khani izi zafika poti kwana tangowamangani anthu oipa awa
The cashgate crises originated from 2012 when a mayi was in power,not in 2005 as indicated above.why do you want to mislead people.During Bingu,there was no such a thing like cashgate and if you do not believe or may be that time you were too young you go back to the library and check all the newspapers from 2005.you will never come accross this cashgate thing.Do not mix cashgate with politics and if you have run out of ideas please we do not need your articles.Thanks
Kodi pakati Mwana,Mkazi ndi Bambo wochimwa ndi tchimo lokuba ndiwuti? Do not loose the content of the topic guys.Zomanga Mkazi ndi Mwana atalakwa Bambo zitha kale kale.
These guys have destroyed our country
AKALOWE ANTHU WOYIPA AWA ZINKHALAMO ZIKUDZUNZISA MIYOYO YA A MALAWI WOSALAKWA BULSHIT !!!