PP’s Chikwemba tells Mutharika, ‘Malawians are not fools’ – Not all the time
Opposition People’s Party (PP) administrative secretary, Joseph Chikwemba has challenged President Peter Mutharika for apparently denying that there has ever been Cashgate on Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s watch, including during the era of his brother Bingu wa Mutharika.
Mutharika at Habitat ground in Mzuzu on Thursday after touring feeder roads in the city declared that his administration will only prosecute Cashgate cases that happened during PP’s two-year rule under Joyce Banda.
But PP argues in a statement that this “holier-than-thou and blame-game attitude’ is very disappointing, more especially that it is coming from the Head of State who is supposed to show his sense of maturity and responsibility in commenting on these issues”.
Chikwemba, who is also national coordinator for Orange Partners, an arm of the PP, w argues that Cashgate begun long time go including during the time of late Bingu.
The former diplomat in Japan said Malawians are aware of public looting taking place currently under Mutharika’s watch.
“Mutharika should be reminded that almost 20 people died during July 20 2011 anti-government demonstrations and one of the issues presented in the petition was to do with corruption (Cashgate). Malawians are not fools, they are aware how Joyce Banda reacted to reports that some overzealous members of PP together with some business gurus were involved in corruption,” reads the statement made available to Nyasa Times.
PP has since challenged Mutharika to deal with corruption without fear or favour.
But Mutharika argued that “when Cashgate happened, there was a particular political party that was involved with some business people and civil servants in corruption. So I have to go after those people. I can’t go after United Democratic Front (UDF), DPP or Malawi Congress Party (MCP) just to make sure that I am not being selective.”
The shooting of former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo outside the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe on September 13 2013 led to revelations of the plunder of public resources later called Cashgate.
Then president Joyce Banda ordered a forensic audit which British firm Baker Tilly undertook, covering the six-month period between April and September 2013.
The audit established that about K24 billion was siphoned from public coffers through dubious payments, inflated invoices and goods or services never rendered.
In May 2015, a financial analysis report by audit and business advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also established that about K577 billion in public funds could not be reconciled between 2009 and December 31 2014.
However, the K577 billion estimated in the PwC report was revised downwards to K236 billion in a forensic audit conducted by RSM Risk Assurance Services LLP of the United Kingdom in April this year.
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Very interesting indeed .
The difference between Joyce Banda and other would-be national leaders is that she has built up an international reputation to live up to. The rest of the world has very high expectations of Joyce Banda. Such a reputation is worth more than gold and is not something anyone would sacrifice lightly. She has been consistently talking the talk on the international stage for some time now and this has developed in her habits of thought that have prepared her for walking the walk. She is more ambitious than her opponents. She wants to be remembered as a great servant leader,… Read more »
Nonse andale ndinu akuba. Inu a Chikwemba, A Peter ndinu akuba. DPP, PP nonse ndinu mbava
APM is right in his approach here: In Police College, they teach that you can’t catch all offender; including car speeders. Likewise, in Law school, they teach that you cannot catch every criminal, and you can’t prosecute every criminal? The money will never be available to prosecute every offender. And that is a fact of life. If I were not a scientist, I would say, a fact of nature – which is wrong. The case at hand is Cashgate, and that’s a concrete case. Well researched, and some of its cases well litigated. Press on and the Justice System will… Read more »
Chikwemba no threats. Especially you in p.p thieves cashgatotirs you should know better how foolish you are. Malawi is in difficult situation because if you fools who stole money
You make noise but you will never bounce back
I would rather vote for a lizard in the ballot box than p.p bunch of thieves
When are you following your fellow foolish prostitute Joyce a lady with iron heart leaving her husband suffering sexually. This is sexual abuse
That’s very true, JB took over Bingu’s cashgate. The K400m issue in Bingu’s time was just a tip of the iceberg but Bingu covered it up. He knew it would blow into his face. Until now, APM is sitting on it including the K577bn cashgate.
It’s just a matter if time, ziwululika.