CASHGATE UPDATES: LEONARD KALONGA PLEADS GUILTY TO MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES

Former Assistant Director of Tourism Leonard Kalonga has pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to defraud government, facilitating money laundering and offence of money laundering.

Kalonga pleaded guilty to the three counts on Wednesday before Lilongwe High Court Judge Fiona Mwale and the Judge has since convicted him.

In his plea, Kalonga also implicated former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo whose shooting on September 13, 2013 lead to the revelations of massive plunder of public funds dubbed cashgate currently pegged at MK24 billion.

Kalonga said Mphwiyo told him that the money which was being defrauded from government was for campaign of former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP).

During the previous court sitting, Kalonga denied to have defrauded government money amounting to MK3.7 billion which he allegedly stole from the ministry between July and October 2013.

Speaking to the press after pleading guilty, Kalonga’s lawyer Joseph Kamkwasi said his client pleaded guilty to the charges in order not to waste court time.

Meanwhile the court has been adjourned to a later date.