US anticipate convictions of gurus in Malawi’s Cashgate
The US government says it is still immature to make a conclusive remark on whether the government is making any progress on how it is dealing with the cash scandal.
The new American Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer told reporters during a cocktail in Blantyre on Thursday that the US government is currently still watching.
“I think we are still watching. We are seeing some convictions and I would like to see more,” she said.
Palmer said she would like to see even more senior convictions “if senior people were involved.”
“Yes there should be convictions of senior officials because if only small officials are prosecuted and senior people act with impunity then there is no justice to people of Malawi,” she said.
These ongoing Cashgate prosecutions has seen more than six people mostly junior officers convicted while cases of senior people including Chief suspect, Oswald Lutepo, former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara and former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo are moving at a snails pace.
Recently, Lutepo confessed through the media his wrong doing in cashgate .
Lutepo is currently answering charges of theft and money laundering of about $6.8 million out of the total of $32million which was looted from government coffers between April and September last year.
He said his Bank account was just used as a conduit for stolen money from government coffers mainly to funding then ruling People’s Party election campaigns.
There has also been pressure for government to act on the DPP-era K92 billion cashgate.
But Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Samuel Tembenu, told parliament that there is “no really such thing as K92 billion cashgate”; backing Auditor General (AG) Stephenson Kamphasa that it was merely an “audit query”.
The AG explained that the K92 billion Cashgate “ remains an audit query requiring further investigation in order to substantiate the transactions validity.”
As part of the Bingu wa Mutharika-era Cashgate, the National Audit Office (NAO) named 54 firms that received about K6.3 billion in suspicious payments from the Malawi Police Service (MPS).
Some of the notable transactions whose value for money NAO could not ascertain include 17 payments to an electrical firm amounting to K1.8 billion; nine payments to another company worth about K1.2 billion; two payments of K150 million to a security equipment supplier; six payments of K123 million to a pharmaceutical firm belonging to a well-known Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) sympathiser and financier.
An analysis of the company names shows that most of the firms appearing in the Mutharika-era audit report are also featuring in the Cashgate investigations conducted since September 2013.
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Federalism is the only answer to cashgate
ONE OF THE BIGEST OF THE FISHES IS FORMER PRESIDENT BAKILI MULUZI WHO MUST APPEAR IN COURT .MALAWIANS FROM NSANJE TO CHITIPA WANT TO KNOW -GUILTY OR INNOCENT.
Please US Ambassador do something in this country.You managed to pick the president of Guatemala on money laundering charges and lock him in US.You
can do the same to our big fish.These people have really messed Malawi big time.Lock them in Guantanamo bay.We only hear of Lutepo and Sithole yet their are very big people involved in this dirty scam.Making so much noise about this small fish is not helping Malawi.Please US u can do something.
Conflict the version enanu mwapezapo mmwai wotukwanira, jb adauza lt b wamuthrka bwana, chepesani kuba, inreturn anati she was forming
92 ?
Those that authorized payments are being shielded. Those tha signed the vouchers and cheques. I don’t think people like Leonard Karonga acted alone.
Malawi is doomed serious. Malawi is cursed serious. Am worried.
Mmmmm, ndangofasa pheee!
mmmh lindani madzi apite!
Kodinkhani ya 92billion ikanakhala yoona ndibwenzi titawaziwa mu two years chifuka anapanga chilichonse kuti peter asaime atafufuza zonse anangopeza za trison basi
Nzeruzayekha says:
Yes Cash Gate case should be expedited at all costs! Thanks US for weighing in.
If there is such a thing as MK92billion cash gate, then the madam was in too since she was behind the big man. We have yet to see the records of that. For now let us finish with the ones we know looted number 1 account. After they are all in jail then we move to talk about the 92b. Koma amai abwerewa atiuze the whereabouts of the Big Fish.
ANDALE SAMANGANA, ANA NONSE MUTHA KUMANGIDWA OSATI AKULUAKULU, BAKILI ALI KUTI?????
Ssssomebody’s terrolist is somebodies freedom fighter.
The government should come in the open and inform the western countries that no senior people will be convicted when the main culprit is being treated on red carpet functions in their own back-yards. The cases are stalling because they are the governments shielding the “BIG FISH” itself, showering her with various awards – some the first of its kind and if the courts in Malawi take her to book she shouts from the western capitals that that is a political witch hunt, jealousy of her achievements etc. if this issue is handled in a mouse and cat manner nothing substantial will be resolved.
DPP is mother of cashgate, they castigated PP as the party of cashgate but look one year gone, no senior PP official has been convicted apart from Lutepo who is involved in almost everything. Cashgate built Ndata. Western Govts know that, this is why budget funding under DPP wont happen soon until all the Masangwis, Mwanamvekas, Mullis are convicted
It’s the same US government which is sheltering the chief beneficiary of the cashgate, joyce mtila banda. Why is she in hibernation if she didn’t commit any crimes to the country? The country mostly needs her presence to help govern it as a president of the major opposition party. Pls Miss Ambassador, address the nation, when is joyce mtila banda coming home? Otherwise her subordinates in cashgate are waiting for her.
Malawi wapita basi, why cant u push 92 billions than the others ?
Amangeni akubawo! Ife tatopa ndi za Cashigeti. Tikufuna chilungamo chioneke. Palibe wamkulu kapena wamng’ono ayi onse ndimbabva basi!
watching? Let the US commit to send to Malawi, what’s the jargon?, any cashgate suspect who may be hiding in the US. That will show their serious
oyenda ndi chikwanje chomwecho kumudikira
If 92b is just audit queries, then defend it with valid documentation.
Trying to avoid their own cashgate. Lets wait and see
Nyasa Times please be objective. the issue of 92 billion is a joke to most of us. to begin with Malawians have never read the so called 92 billion cashgate report. to be honest we first heard about it from Madam Joice Banda in the thick of things. To many Mala wians that unsubstantiated claim re mains a desperate attempt by the PP government to drag their political opponent into the mad. Unless u publish that report i will never believe in the nosense.
92 billion……watchin…
When is peter Mutharika going to answer on k92 billion?
Was he the President to answer such audit query?
Convictions are based on available evidence not seniority understand your Excellency. If you have evidence of senior persons then bring that
Malawi needs to move forward economically. Things are very bad we are the highest bank interest rate in the whole world. Most companies are closing. Enough of azungu hiding in cashgate. Move on azungu.
Please donor don’t start giving us money until the MK92b issue is sorted out .
Lutepo was in a process of buying Air Malawi during Bingu’s time.
No wonder only juniors are convicted becauz we grasps aphilosophy that says eldiers are always right “akulu salakwa”