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Highly placed sources have confirmed that a new warrant of arrest has been obtained for the former Minister of Justice, Ralph Kasambara, who has just resurfaced into the limelight after making serious allegations that the ESCOM fire was masterminded by Oswald Lutepo.
Kasambara is currently on bail obtained through the Supreme Court of Appeal. He is facing attempted murder charges of the ex-budget director in the Ministry of Finance, Paul Mphwiyo.
The current warrant of arrest is based on Oswald Lutepo’s disposition that alleges that Kasambara and Pika Manondo were the godfathers of the cash-gate while Lutepo was a loyal messenger.
It is alleged that a high delegation of police officers from the Police headquarters were recently in Kasungu to put pressure on Manondo to implicate Kasambara in exchange of a state witness status.
Oswald Lutepo is on bail. He is personally answering fraud and money laundering charges. It is alleged that he defrauded Malawi government of MK 2.6bn. One billion of which was stolen from President Joyce Banda’s office. President Banda and Lutepo are close associates. Lutepo is also a business partner to Joyce Banda’s sons.
Until his arrest, Lutepo was the Deputy Campaign Director of Joyce Banda’s People’s Party. He donated a fleet of cars to PP bought with allegedly stolen public funds.
The new warrant of arrest comes within a few days after the embattled President Banda told the nation that Kasambara’s attempt to drag her and her sister, Cecelia Kumpukwe, to Court as key witnesses will backfire since she will make sure that Kasambara rots in jail. She put it indirectly but the inference was very clear.
