Kasambara, Lutepo money laundering charges now K785m
The prosecution has amended and reduced to K785 million the amount which Malawi former Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo and businessperson Oswald Lutepo are answering on money laundering and obtaining money by false pretence.
Before Lutepo was added to the case, Kasambara and Manondo were initially charged on two counts involving K5.6 billion in one of the cases which has come to be known as Cashgate.
Manondo and Kasambara were also separately charged with possession of stolen property which was 11 vehicles, K22 million in Manondo’s custody and K5.6 billion in both their custody, but this has been changed.
According to the new charge sheet Weekend Nation has seen signed by the special public prosecutor on Cashgate, Kamudoni Nyasulu, the three have been charged with money laundering involving K785 million for Kasambara, Manondo and Lutepo and obtaining money by false pretences as count two.
In count one, Kasambara, Lutepo and Manondo have been charged with conspiracy to Section 35 (i) (d) of the Money Laundering Act.
Count four has Lutepo, Manondo then Kasambara and lawyer Wapona Kita trading as Ralph & Arnolds Associates charged with money laundering involving K55 million.
The amended charge for count three now reads: “Raphael Kasambara, Oswald Lutepo and Pika Manondo between 26 July and August 2013 at Standard Bank Ginnery Corner Branch in the city of Blantyre, acting in concert and furtherance of a common unlawful purpose, each or the others or all of them had in their possession proceeds of crime, namely seven hundred eighty five million one hundred and five thousand kwacha (K785 105 000.00) which they knew or had reason to believe represented in a whole or in part directly or indirectly money stolen or unlawfully obtained.”
Nyasulu had before told the court to go ahead to prosecute the suspects and disclosed that 11 witnesses and 39 documents were expected to constitute evidence.
Director of Housing Auzius Kazombo Mwale, principal accountants Roosevelt Ndovi and Fletcher Kaizo who were charged with negligence by a public officer for facilitating theft of K2.3 billion from government have been removed as co-accused persons.
Meanwhile, the case which was supposed to take place on Thursday failed because of the ongoing judicial support staff strike.
