Malawians To Elect President On July 2 2020

Casting vote in a ballot box

Malawians will once again to the poll to elect new president on 2nd July 2020, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced.

Fresh presidential elections were called on 3rd February, when the High Court sitting as Constitutional Court in Lilongwe delivered a judgement in which it nullified the 2019 presidential elections and ordered that fresh election be held within 150 days.

MEC announced the date on Monday in Blantyre during the launch of the presidential election electoral calendar.

Chakwera Says Muluzi Case, MCP Legislators Wasting Resources

Malawi Congress Party President (MCP) and Leader of Opposition Parties in Parliament, Lazarus Chakwera has asked Government to drop all cases answering former President Bakili Muluzi and allow former President Joyce Banda come back home.

Chakwera was speaking when making statement before the adjournment of the National Assembly meeting Sine Die on Friday evening.

Cashgate Case: Kalonga Ready For Restitution As Case Adjourns For Sentencing Submissions

Cashgate convict, Leonard Kalonga who is former Chief of Tourism, has told court that he is set to make restitution of millions of money he stole from Government as his case adjourns to 29th February for sentencing submissions.

The Lilongwe High Court convicted Leonard Kalonga and and is in prison pending his sentence for defrauding government money amounting to K3 billion between April and September 2013. He pleaded guilty to three counts and got convicted before Justice Fiona Mwale. 

The case has been adjourned to 29th February for sentencing submissions then, court is expected to set another date for sentencing.

The court has adjourned because the defense wants some ample time to make restitution of some of the assets that were stolen and another reason was an in-house between Kalonga and his lawyer.

Reyneck Matemba

The Anti-Corruption Bureau Deputy Director General Reyneck Matemba leading prosecution of the case  said the State did not object this adjournment request from defense because their main and ultimate priority is "to recover as much as possible and as much as we can"

"So giving somebody an opportunity to pay back we thought that was reasonable. But after 29th February we will not entertain any adjournment. We will proceed with or without restitution because we have our own ways of recovering assets" said Matemba

However, it is not known even to the State of how much money Karonga is set to give back to Government. But Matemba says the restitution by Karonga is most welcome.

"This is a very good development and we well come it" he said 

Former Chief of Tourism, Leonard Kalonga was found guilty and convicted of conspiracy to defraud government using forged documents and paid the money to bogus suppliers. 

Other charges includes money laundering of K520 million where he facilitated, a baited and aided acquisition of 6 Marcopolo Scania buses of Paul Mphwiyo and Money laundering which were proceeds of serious crime between April and September 2013 with other persons to a tune of K3, 252, 225 billion. 

Kalonga pleaded guilty to all charges and made revelation of genesis of Cashgate and named some of the key figures in government who became defrauders

He disclosed that himself recruited 17 companies to steal from government and in his voluntary confession statement, Kalonga also implicated former president Dr. Joyce Banda as person who instigated the scam for she wanted to use the money for 2014 General Election Campaign.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Court Failing To Trace Brown Mpinganjira Home In Mulanje

The scheduled appearance of court witness, Evangelist Brown James Mpinganjira to testify on conspiracy and attempted murder trial of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo will not be possible this week as court says, they are failing to trace the permanent residence of him in Mulanje where they can hand him court summon.

One of the Court reporters told Judge Michael Mtambo that they attempted in vain to locate home of the former Mulanje Central legislature there in Mulanje district.

Former Cabinet Minister also former Vice President of Peoples Party (PP) in the South, Mpinganjira is wanted by court following his naming as one of then cabinet ministers of Dr. Joyce Banda who warned Mphwiyo that some irate individuals who were forcing him to authorise dubious payments have numbered his days to ten if he  continues to refuse to bow down to their demands.

Brown Mpinganjira matter also brought legal argument between Prosecution and Defense which took some minutes before Judge Michael Mtambo dismissed the conversation saying he was to make a ruling on the same.

Actually, the state were of the view that it was not proper for the defense to interfere with Court witness when third accused Raphael Kasambara told the court that he got a note from Brown Mpinganjira informing him that he has never received court summons.

But Kasambara maintained that there was never flouting of any legal procedure for receiving a note from the court witness.

The matter on Mpinganjira came just after man considered as "Chief" Cashgate convict, Oswald Lutepo had finished to testify as last witness of the first accused, McDonald Kumwembe.

Lutepo pictured with Dr. Joyce Banda

Some of major highlights in Oswald Lutepo testimony were  that former Deputy Inspector General of Malawi Police, Nelson Bophani forced him to change his statement recorded by police to one which could have implicated Raphael Kasambara as one who masterminded cashgate.

However, Lutepo denied that the former police IG had forced him to implicate Kasambara on issue of Paul Mphwiyo shooting.

Lutepo told first accused McDonal Kumwembe during cross-examination in chief that after his arrest he told police everything of his knowledge pertaining to cashgate.

But he said the deputy police IG, Bophani at one point arranged the meeting at Zomba Prison between him and the second accused Pika Manondo, so that the two should come up with framed claim that cashgate was masterminded by Kasambara but they both refused to do so.

He also denied that to the best of his knowledge and his involvement in cashgste, that he had transacted with Raphael Kasambara any business which was related to cashgate.

Asked about Paul Mphwiyo shooting, Lutepo told court that he was the person who had informed former President Dr. Joyce Banda of Paul Mphwiyo shooting just like he had done to the rest of Mphwiyo's friends.

He also explained that his best friend Paul Mphwiyo had in his house a desktop which was connected to the cctv camera's which were placed out side his house.

Now, second accused, Pika Manondo has entered his defense which will be continued this morning starting at 10 am.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Kasambara Former Chauffer Contradicts Housemaid Testimony

Chauffer of then Justice Minister, Raphael Kasambara testimony before Lilongwe High Court on Tuesday, denys’ witness of a former housemaid of Kasambara on events that took place a day after Paul Mphwiyo was shot.

The driver, Fostino Chimwaza told the court that in the morning of 14th September 2013, went to Kasambara’s house and found Mercedez Benz silver in color parked in front of Kasambara’s house contradicting last year testimony of Jessie Mussa, former housemaid of Kasambara who informed court that the very same day, that vehicle was hidden parked behind Servant Quarters and it had its number plates removed. 

The former driver also told court that that morning he drove wife of Kasambara to Kasungu opposed to former housemaid claim that on that day she was with Kasambara’s wife at Lilongwe Golf Club and that while there, Kasambara’s wife told her that the man she saw at home the previous day evening is Paul Mphwiyo and has been shot.

However, the driver’s testimony indicates that with Kasambara’s wife he spent whole day in Kasungu attending burial of nephew to the country’s then First Gentleman, Richard Banda (husband to former president Dr. Joyce Banda). 

He said, they arrived back in Lilongwe around 6 pm and that it could have not been possible for Kasambara’s wife to go to Lilongwe Golf Club with her child and the housemaid.

Former Justice minister, Raphael Kasambara is answering charge of conspiracy of attempted murder of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo on 13th September 2013. While Pika Manondo and McDonald Kumwembe are answering the same charge together with the charge of attempted murder.

The former housemaid was also on record in her last year testimony that she saw on 13th September 2013 the man who was later revealed to her as Paul Mphwiyo arriving at Kasambara’s house with a bag which contained huge sums of money.

She further told court that she was unceremoniously fired by Kasambara and while on her way home, she got a phone call from Kasambara’s wife warning to zip her mouth on what she saw at Kasambara’s house and anything related to Paul Mphwiyo shooting because Kasambara was not involved in the shooting.


Arms Deal And Government Plot Against Kasambara

Dauka (in black shirt and drinking water)

Earlier the court heard astounding testimony from Dauka Manondo who was acquited in the case saying the Paul Mphwiyo shooting is related to arms deal and that the interest of Government in the case is only to bay for blood of Raphael Kasambara.

Dauka disclosed to Lilongwe High court that his brother Pika Manondo together with Paul Mphwiyo had a deal of supplying ammunition to the Malawi Defense Force. He said his brother travelled together with Mphwiyo to South Africa on 6th September and came back on 10th September 2013 (according to Pika travel documents) for the said arms deal and he returned three days before the shooting.

He explained during examination by his brother Pika who is representing himself that on 14th September 2013 him (Dauka) called his brother Pika if he knows who might be the shooter and possible reason.

"I asked you (Pika) who do you think has shot Paul Mphwiyo, you answered that this was probably the issue related to the arms deal and that the person had wanted money." Said Dauka

Paul Mphwiyo was shot at the gate of his house in area 43 around midnight of 13th September 2013.

Dauka explained that him as close friend to Paul Mphwiyo is aware of security cameras at Paul Mphwiyo residence which were functional and could have captured the shooting incident at his gate.

But when Pika asked Dauka if during his arrest he ever tried to tell Police to check on security cameras Dauka replied  he did and was told that "they were only interested in financier of the shooting as they already knew who shot" and about CCTV they just laughed before saying "they know it" and disclosed that this was said by the police officer named Maurice Makwinja.

He then disclosed that after his bail, he was called to Kanengo police, by Maurice Makwinja. He said Makwinja told him, that, then Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Bruno Kalemba wanted to meet him but he refused "because I was so bitter with my arrests"

He then said he was told that "I will and you (Pika) suffer because we are not cooperative to be state witness against Kasambara who Kalemba was after for"

During questioning by Kasambara, Dauka repeated that he refused to meet Bruno Kalemba because he was very bitter, since Kalemba "wanted me to be witness to testify against you and convince Pika to testify against you as they said you were the main target"

Cashgate Case: Kalonga Lawyers File Sentence Submissions On 1st October

The High Court in Lilongwe has directed parties in the Cashgate case of Leonard Kalonga to make submissions of the sentencing by the first weeks of October.

The Prosecution and Defense were back in court on Tuesday to hear directive of the court on how both parties may proceed with the case following adjournment of the case on 26th August 2015.

Reyneck Matemba 

Deputy Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Reyneck Matemba, said in an interview that during the sitting which lasted few minutes, Court directed that the Defense should file their submission on sentencing by 1st October 2015 and the state is expected to respond by 12 October 2015

"The court has directed that by 1st of October 2015, the defense should file their sentence submission. While us, the state have been asked to file our submission on sentencing by 12 October 2015." He confirmed

"After making our submissions to the court, we will wait to hear from the court on date of when to do oral submissions" Matemba explains

The ACB Deputy Director, also indicated that then, the court will make its directive of when it will pass the sentence.

Former Chief of Tourism, Leonard Kalonga was found guilty and convicted of conspiracy to defraud government using forged documents and paid the money to bogus suppliers. Other charges includes money laundering of K520 million where he facilitated, a baited and aided acquisition of 6 Marcopolo Scania buses of Paul Mphwiyo and Money laundering which were proceeds of serious crime between April and September 2013 with other persons to a tune of K3, 252, 225 billion.

Kalonga pleaded guilty to all charges and made revelation that he recruited 17 companies to steal from government.

In his voluntary confession statement, Kalonga implicated former President Dr. Joyce Banda as person who instigated the scam for she wanted to use the money for 2014 General Election Campaign.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Court To Subpoena Joyce Banda As Witness

Lilongwe High Court 

The High Court Registrar is expected to make a decisive action which will possibly force former President Dr. Joyce Banda to come back to Malawi to stand as a defense witness in Paul Mphwiyo shooting case.

During the court sitting on Friday last week resolved that the Court Registrar should subpoena all witnesses named by defense but currently seem not likely to come to stand as witnesses.

The decision was made following request from second accused, Pika Manondo that court must intervene and use its power to bring to court former Head of State Dr. Banda who currently is outside the country and she seem not to come back in the country very soon.

Manondo said the former President has a lot to explain in this case.

His request was made after Judge Michael Mtambo remarks before adjourning the case. He emphasised that he wants the case be concluded very fast. 

He said court will not tolerate any delays and that the defense should call its witnesses during the upcoming sitting of court. 

Justice Mtambo also warned that he will not hesitate to revoke bail of the accused persons who fail to cooperate.

Kachale: High Court Registrar must
  subpoena witnesses 

But when the state was asked to help defense bring witnesses to court, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale said the High Court Registrar was in the right place to subpoena all witnesses.

Kachale said with that authoritative letter, enforcement agencies can react in a situation where the witness is not willing to appear in court.

Former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo was shot at the gate of his house in area 43 during the night of 13th September 2015. His shooting led to number of arrests in connection to looting of public money dubbed cashgate.

McDonald Kumwembe identified as a shooter was found with case to answer on attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder together with Pika Manondo while former Justice Minister and Attorney General, Raphael Kasambara was found with case to answer on conspiracy to commit murder.

Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Kumwembe Names Former President Joyce Banda As Witness

Lilongwe High Court 

McDonald Kumwembe names Joyce Banda and seven other persons as his witnesses for the case of attempted murder and conspiracy to kill former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo. 

Kumwembe and Pika Manondo were found with case to answer on conspiracy and attempted murder of Paul Mphwiyo, while Former Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Raphael Kasambara was found with case to answer on conspiracy to commit murder. 

Cashgate Case: Kalonga Bail Revoked

Lilongwe High Court 

The Lilongwe High Court has revoked bail of a cashgate convict Leonard Kalonga and has since been sent to Maula prison pending his sentence.

Kalonga, accused of defrauding government money amounting to K3 billion between April and September 2013, has on Wednesday pleaded guilty and got convicted before Justice Fiona Mwale to three counts of money laundering.

Kalonga was arrested on cashgate following his acquisition of 6 Scania Marcopolo buses using government money. However his second charge indicates that the buses belong to Paul Mphwiyo. The charge states,  Kalonga facilitated, a baited and aided laundering of K520 million, between July and September 2013, the proceeds which were used in acquisition of the 6 buses for Paul Mphwiyo. 

Other charges includes conspiring to defraud government using forged documents money not less than K1 billion which was paid to bogus suppliers and that he was involved in Money laundering of K3, 252, 225 billion, proceeds of serious crime between April and September 2013.

Kalonga pleaded guilty and convicted of all three counts. 

Meanwhile the case has been adjourned to a later date and possibly next week for sentence hearing.

However, his caution statement has made revelations of genesis of Cashgate and named some of the key figures in government including other government officers from various ministries and departments who became defrauders after being recruited by the ruling party then.

Key names includes: former President Dr. Joyce Banda, former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo, former Accountant General Bill Kandoje, chief accountant George Banda, Clemence Madzi including some officers from Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

17 Civil Engineering and Building companies have also been implicated as bogus service providers that were paid huge sums of money without rendering any service to government.

Mary Kachale: Kalonga was recruiting fellow
workers

In both State narration of facts to the present case and Caution Statement of Mr. Kalonga indicates that former President Joyce Banda was at the control of such calculated theft of public coffers for the purpose of funding her Peoples Party during the 2014 general election campaign.

Kalonga says at one point Oswald Lutepo spoke to the former president on telephone and that their conversation was put on a loudspeaker. He said Lutepo was assuring her of the availability of funds that was defrauded by the conspiracy team.

He also said apart from being assured by Paul Mphwiyo that nothing will happen to them as people were placed in every strategic areas in all government ministries and departments, officers involved in the scam received a word of assurance of their protection by the former president Joyce Banda through Treasa Senzani. 

In his self confession statement, Kalonga is claiming that he was introduced to Paul Mphwiyo by a man from Accountant General’s office and that later, Mphwiyo placed him as recruiter of fellow civil servants from Ministry of Tourism as well as bogus contractors.

Later, Kalonga said he used to collect money from bogus companies after they withdrawn their cheques. Then 60% of the money was for the Peoples Party while the rest was shared among the companies and officers involved. But he said Paul Mphwiyo was the one collecting the money for the party and was delivering the money to state house. 

Leonard Kalonga also indicated that most of their meetings were taking place at his house in area 18 and in rare occasions, the meetings happened in other places. 

However, he also mentioned that the defrauding group had at one point suspected nontransparent acts from Paul Mphwiyo due to unfair shares.

The former Assistant Director of Tourism in the Ministry of Tourism, Leonard Karonga began working civil servant in 1992.

Cashgate Case: Former President Joyce Banda Named In Kalonga Case

Lilongwe High Court 

Leonard Kalonga pleads Guilty to K3. 2 billion case. 

Kalonga was arrested on cashgate following his acquisition of 6 Scania Marcopolo buses using government money. 

Now, case involves more other persons already answering cashgate cases and other new other names. The case also includes 17 Civil Engineering Constructions 

Kalonga has since pleaded guilty. 

Shocking revelation of the case 

Immediately Kalonga pleaded guilty, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale made narration of facts of the case which claim involvement of former President Dr. Joyce Banda and Paul Mphwiyo as key coordinator of the fraud way before he become budget director.

Mary Kachale: Proceeds
of theft were going to
Peaples Party 

The statement claims, Kalonga was a recruiter of government officers that were involved in cashgate, companies involved including collecting and distribution of cash, even including collecting and distribution of cheques. 

DPP stated that the defrauded money was delivered to State House and were meant for 2014 campaign by Joyce Banda administration 

The facts also claim that Dr. Joyce Banda assured protection of all involved in the scam. 

The DPP also in her narration included names of Oswald Lutepo, George Banda, Treasa Senzani (who joined the fraud later than others)

Kalonga equivocally agreed to the facts presented by DPP

Case was under Justice Fiona Mwale who has since convicted Kalonga of three charges 

The first charge indicates that Kalonga in 2013 conspired with other persons to defraud government using forged documents to a tune of not less than K1 billion paid to bogus suppliers. 

His second count states that between July and September 2013 Leonard Kalonga facilitated, a baited and aided acquisition of 6 Marcopolo Scania buses with Paul Mphwiyo and others money laundering to a tune of K520 million while the third count Kalonga was involved in Money laundering which were proceeds of serious crime between April and September 2013 with other persons to a tune of K3, 252, 225 billion.

Visit again for more updates as the case is still in progress

Contractor Mis-Procurement for the Upgrade of Machinga, Chingale-Lilangwe Road Leading to More Sufferings: CCJP Urges Current Regime Not To Repeat Similar Decision

• Dr. Joyce Banda Govt misprocured contractor for the road

• Continued deaths enroute to hospital are among challenges

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of Zomba Diocese says government choice to mis-procure contractor to upgrade the Machinga, Chingale-Lirangwe road to tarmac has not solved any long and increasingly sufferings of people from districts of Machinga, Zomba and Blantyre, rather another journey of misery.

The construction works for the road was stalled immediately when Peoples Party (PP) led Administration launched the upgrade of the road in March 2014, as Kuwait Fund withheld its resources after observing that Malawi government had flouted procedure by hiring a European contractor ‘Mota-Engil to do the upgrade works, tangent of the Loan agreement that ‘the contractor should be sourced from Arab country.’ 

The withheld money was a bill passed by the National Assembly in 2013 ‘Kuwait Fund Loan Authorisation’ valued at $10.2 million for the upgrading and rehabilitation of approximately 62.3km Machinga, Chingale-Lirangwe road to a tarmac by 2014 and then Deputy Minister of Finance hon Cornelius Mwalwanda signed the Loan agreement on 19 November, 2013.

Director for Zomba CCJP office Raphael Yusufu, says the stall, is continuously leading to frequent death among patients on their way to referral hospitals of; Zomba Central Hospital, Mlambe Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. 

Yusufu, further said Public as well as private servants are shunning away from working in the area; lack of viable markets even though the area is the food basket for Zomba, Machinga and Lunzu towns; and people are experiencing untimely delivery of materials such as school materials, agricultural commodities and FISP inputs when it rains because the road becomes impassable. 

While expressing disapproval of the decision made by then government and caution current government to refrain from committing such unjust procedure any time in future he said “Times for politicking is over and let us develop our nation by making sure that we respect all the due process required as stipulated in contracts signed with the cooperating partners.” 

“We have seen leaving of Mota-Engil from their designated camping site in Chipini without any explanation to the community. In addition, the road was to commence as soon as it was launched in March, 2014, however nothing has materialized on the ground.” observed Yusufu

Others who spoke to this reporter from Chingale Constituency, explained that in 2014, they had to cough in extra money to hire for a vehicle to carry their FISP inputs after the truck which was meant to deliver the same got stuck in Lirangwe and Pregnant women are still delivering along the way and patients dying on their way to referral hospitals. 

But in a recent interview, Minister of Transport and Public Works hon. Francis Kasaila acknowledged the problem but was quick to mention that current administration is in talks with Kuwait and that it has already removed Mota-Engil on the road site so that new procurement of Arab world contractor begins as per agreement of the loan. 

He said officials from Arab bank of Kuwait would be in Malawi by the end of March to finalize deal negotiations and within 90 days the Ministry would have all due processes finalized and by July latest the contractor could be on the ground.

“We are meeting with Kuwait Fund on how we move forward because they need to give us a go ahead, a no objection to procure another contractor. That process will definitely start as soon as we meet and agree on the way forward."

Kasaila equally expressed grief over the decision made by then government "It was a costly decision we have lost time, we had our relationship to save between us and the donors, because when you do mis-procurement you are putting yourself in bad light with donors as a country" 

The Minister, then said "Our colleagues in Lirangwe, Chingale and Machinga they have been expecting this construction works to start long time ago but nothing is on the ground”

“We should endeavor not to do that because it becomes sad, if that happens it is the country that loses resources, we have lost time as well. Therefore it is something that as government we have learned and we hope we will not repeat in the future." He assured

However, Zomba CCJP Director further reminds Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to live up to its promise of upgrading the road “Machinga-Chingale-Lirangwe is one of the priority roads promised in the DPP Manifesto and is high time they rise to the occasion by fulfilling their promises through ensuring that the socioeconomic rights of people living along this road is respected by giving them a tarmac road.”

Concerned people from areas along the road have gone to the extent of warning that if their road is not upgraded into tarmac by this regime, then they will campaign against voting for DPP and its candidates come 2019 elections.