The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has today committed several politicians and individuals to the High Court to face new multiple charges related to abuse of office and misappropriation of government funds.
Among those committed are former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) governor and UTM president Dalitso Kabambe, former deputy governor Henry Mathanga, Leston Ted Mulli, Joseph Khupe and Feston Mulli.
They are charged with conspiracy to use public office for personal advantage. The court heard that between April 2019 and June 2020, they allegedly opened letters of credit valued at K13.6 billion for the benefit of Mulli, Khupe, and Mulli Brothers Limited.
They also face money laundering charges for possessing K13.6 billion, knowing it represented proceeds of a predicate offence during the same period.
Kabambe, Mathanga, Samuel Chilembwe Malitoni, Elvis Thodi, Cliff Chiunda, and Joseph Mwanamvekha are also charged with conspiracy to use public office for personal gain.
Between April and July 2020, the suspects allegedly conspired to use their public offices, including the Special Cabinet Committee on Coronavirus and the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus, to misappropriate a total of K11.4 billion.
Kabambe, Mathanga, Malitoni, and Chiunda face charges of soliciting to break the law by contravening the appropriation of profits to pay the government K6.2 billion for the Covid-19 disaster response.
The group, including Thodi and Mwanamvekha, also faces charges of conspiracy to expend public money without Parliamentary appropriation, amounting to K11.4 billion.
Chiunda, Mwanamvekha, and Thodi are further charged with disobedience of statutory duty for willfully disobeying the Public Finance Management Act by failing to present expenditure estimates of K11.4 billion, for approval to Cabinet and Parliament between April and July 2020.
Lastly, Kabambe, Mathanga, Malitoni, Thodi, Chiunda, and Mwanamvekha also face money laundering charges for possessing K11.4 billion at a local bank, knowing it represented proceeds of a predicate offence of expending money without appropriation.
Earlier, defense lawyer John Kalampa requested the court not to proceed with the committal, arguing that one of the accused, Leonard Kandoje, is ill and should be examined to determine if he is fit to stand trial.
