ACB investigated Mphwiyo in 2008

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) launched investigations in 2008 to ascertain how Treasury budget director Paul Mphwiyo acquired his wealth after receiving information that he had unexplained property.

ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala said on Friday Mphwiyo submitted information to the bureau to justify the property that had raised questions.

Nation on Sunday sought information relating to the assets Mphwiyo said he had declared to ACB when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday.

The committee wanted the budget director to explain what he knew about the siphoning of government resources and circumstances that led to his shooting on September 13 2013.

But ACB said the information Mphwiyo provided in 2008 did not constitute a declaration of assets.

“Mr Mphwiyo did not declare his assets to the Anti-Corruption Bureau as the bureau is not mandated to receive such information. Rather, he was asked in 2008 to explain how he acquired some property.

“He did so following an investigation which the bureau was conducting on allegation that he had unexplained property,” said Ndala.

But Ndala could not disclose the property Mphwiyo declared to the bureau.

Meanwhile, a member of PAC told Nation on Sunday on Friday that the committee has fresh information on Mphwiyo’s wealth, adding that the committee will summon him again to explain how he acquired the property.

“We have discovered that he has a fleet of expensive vehicles as well as a number of houses. Mphwiyo will be called again to the committee,” said the member.

The information Mphwiyo provided to the committee has also attracted the reaction of the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) which contradicted his statement that he wrote the tax body to consider claiming taxes on some companies that were claiming billions of kwacha from government.

MRA commissioner general John Bizwick told Weekend Nation yesterday that it was MRA that wrote Treasury on the matter.

Mphwiyo made the claim to justify his assertion that he was fighting corruption in government.