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Chief state advocate Dzikondianthu Malunda, has asked the high court ito proceed with prosecution of two cash gate suspects Laura and Rex Savala after failing to pay back the stolen money as they demanded in the negotiations.
Malunda says the state entered into negotiations with the two suspects to pay back about 90 million to government after the 2013 infamous financial scandal that hit Capital Hill, but only k 2 million was paid.
“This is an old case, the 2013 cash gate. We had been in discussions with the defense that yielded nothing. So today, we basically informed the court that the discussions have not yielded and we need new dates for hearing to proceed in earnest”, said Malunda
In 2013, an audit report by British Forensic Auditors, Baker Tilly exposed massive plunder of public resources in the country.
Since its exposure, the state has secured a number of convictions including businesspersons and civil servants with others out of jail after serving their jail terms.
High Court Judge, Annabel Mtalimanja has since set May 7 and 8 to continue hearing the case.
By November 2015, there were 124 cash gate cases before the special cash gate prosecutor Kamudoni Nyasulu, the DPP and Anti-Corruption Bureau, the main prosecuting agencies.
In November 2020, there were 94 suspects out of which 40 were convicted and trials for 19 suspects were close to finalization, representing a near completion rate of 64 percent.
Last year, five people namely, Kettie Kamwangala, Fatch Chungano, Cecilia Ng’ambi, Sympathy Chisale and Ndaona Satema were freed after paying back the money, according to official document sourced from Ministry of Justice.
Out of 40 convictions, ACB alongside Nyasulu secured 22 and no acquittal. The suspects investigated and convicted included 36 public officers from 10 government ministries, departments and agencies as well as 122 private sector companies, including three legal firms.
Cash cage was exposed on September 13 2013 following thw shooting of Former Minister of Finance budget director Paul Mphiyo, now a fugitive, outside the gate of his area 43 resid3nce in Lilongwe
Former president Joyce Banda ordered a Forensic Audit undertaken by British firm, Baker Tilly, covering the period between April and September 2013. The audit established that about k 24 million was siphoned from public coffers through dubious payments, inflated invoices and goods or services never rendered.
In May 2015, a financial analysis report by audit and business advisory firm price water house coopers also established that about k 577 billion in public funds could not be reconciliated between 2009 and December 31, 2014. However, the figure was later revised downwards to k 236 billion by another.
Source:Nyasatimes
