SITHOLE’S CASE AWAITS STATE TO VERIFY SOURCE OF BANK NOTES

Business man Mr Victor Sithole’s cashgate case will reconvene once the state’s lawyer Mr Kamudoni Nyasulu has identified the bank from which over k 100 million was withdrawn by chief cashgate suspect Osward Lutepo.

Appearing before the Lilongwe Magistrate Court last Thursday, Mr Victor Sithole told the court that he was given over K 112 million by Mr.Lutepo to procure maize on his behalf and deliver it to a local company.

Mr.Sithole, told the court that he was given the money at the standard bank car park in Lilongwe, but it was not clear where the money had been sourced from.

Mr. Victor Sinthole who is answering charges in the Lilongwe Magistrate’s court for allegedly being found in possession of millions of money believed to have been stolen from government coffers told the court the story of how he came to know cash-gate principal suspect Mr. Osward Lutepo.

Mr. Lutepo, who is a state witness against Mr. Sithole, is said to have been introduced by a Dan Zimba who allegedly informed Sithole that Lutepo sought to buy maize.

‘’I knew Mr Lutepo through my long-time friend Dan Zimba, he asked me if I still buy and sell farm produce, he told me that there was someone who wanted maize and I should help him buy” said Sinthole.

This was revealed in court as state lawyer Kamudoni Nyasulu cross-examined Mr. Sithole.

He further told the court that he later met Mr. Lutepo at Standard Bank, City Centre in Lilongwe where he was given three bags of cash which he was to buy maize and deliver at AgriFeeds Company.

Sithole said the way the cash was parked on that day suggested, it came from Reserve Bank of Malawi. He said he exchanged some of the money for dollars to enable him buy things from Chipata, in Zambia.

State lawyer, Kamudoni Nyasulu told the court he would now want to establish the identity of the bank from where the said bundles of money were withdrawn as that information was possible to get.

‘’My Lord I would like us to verify with the Reserve Bank of Malawi, from where the money was being withdrawn by Mr. Lutepo, because the money was wrapped with a bundle which has a stamp from which bank the money was withdrawn’’ said Nyasulu.

The case has since been adjourned to take place today.