Mphwiyo shooting shocks Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany on Wednesday said it is ‘deeply’ shocked with the last week’s Friday shooting of Malawi’s Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo, describing the victim as central in the country’s public finance management.
“We are deeply shocked to hear of the shooting. We convey our best and quick recovery,” said Germany Ambassador to Malawi Peter Woeste.
He was speaking in his introductory remarks during the signing ceremony of a grant agreement between Malawi and Germany towards the Social Cash Transfer Programme.
This is the first time Malawi’s development partner has spoken on Mphwiyo’s shooting.
Germany is a member of the Common Approach to Budget (Cabs) group of donors which provides Malawi a harmonised general budget support. Woeste described Mphwiyo as an important ‘cornerstone and central’ on Malawi’s public financial management system.
Added the ambassador: “The latest news that suspects have been arrested is a very positive development.”
On his part, Malawi Finance Minister Ken Lipenga said: Government also feels devastated by the shooting of Mphwiyo. All souls at the Treasury are with him in South Africa where he is being treated.”
Mphwiyo was shot thrice as he entered the gate of his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe on Fridaynight.
His close friends and colleagues at Ministry of Finance told www.mwnation.com on Sunday that earlier before his fate, he told them of the death threats he was receiving for closing loopholes in the public finance management.
On Saturday, President Joyce Banda told a rally she knew the people behind the shooting, claiming they targeted Mphwiyo because he is fighting corruption in the civil service.
