CASHGATE;MAKANDE,CHIOKO RELEASED ON BAIL

As the Ant-Corruption Bureau (ACB) intensifies the hunting of cuprites’ implicated in the Malawi financial scam dubbed cashgate by the media, information sourced by FaceofMalawi indicates that former People’s Party (PP) spokesperson Hophmally Makande and Ishmael Chioko have been released on bail.

Lilongwe Magistrate Court senior resident magistrate Paul Chiotcha released the two on bail yesterday on the condition that they should hand in their travel documents, provide two sureties worth K1 million each, report to the ACB once a week and also surrender K1 million in cash.

Both have since been formally charged with money laundering.

Makande surrendered himself to ACB after it was reported that the bureau was looking for him early this week.

Over 70 senior government officials including business players are answering their cases in court involving the looting of public funds at Capitol Hill which is now pegged at MK20 billion.

Since the scam came to light in September 13, 2013 only one case has so far been concluded.