PPM asks Police to seize PP vehicles

The opposition PPM has asked authorities to take a bold step and seize vehicles that some of the suspects in the cashgate scandal donated to the governing People’s Party (PP).

But Ken Msonda, PP deputy publicity secretary, said yesterday in an interview the cashgate scandal is not political; hence, he would not want to comment on that.

Msonda, however, said the party does not ask people who make donations to the party, the source of their finances.

“The cashgate matter is in court and we would not be tempted to comment on that.

“But you may wish to know that PP has several well-wishers, and when they make a donation, we don’t ask them the source of their funding,” Msonda said.

Asked why police were not touching PP cars purportedly donated by some cashgate suspects, Deputy Inspector General of Police Nelson Bophani said it was difficult to start commenting on issues raised by a politician.

Bophani, a lead investigator of the cashgate scandal, however, said the process of seizing property was not an easy task, disclosing that police last week seized a tipper in Blantyre connected to the scam.

At a news conference in Blantyre this week, People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) president Mark Katsonga Phiri said his party was worried about the selective manner government was applying the law in seizing assets and freezing bank accounts of cashgate suspects.

“It is in public domain that some of the PP vehicles were donated by some of the suspects and that these have been spared by the authorities,” Katsonga Phiri said.

He said the law punishes more those that receive stolen goods, arguing it was unfortunate that President Joyce Banda stated that her party could not be taken to task for gifts it received from those connected to the cashgate scandal.

The President, when she was asked last year by media what action she was going to take if some of the suspects claimed that they donated proceeds of the Capital Hill looting to her party, said the law punishes those who steal and not the receiver.

She said she did not expect a smear campaign against those not involved.

Billions of kwacha were siphoned from the public purse through dubious payments to businesspersons, some of whom have connections to the ruling party, in some cases, for services not rendered.

Government has seized a number of vehicles, frozen bank accounts, but critics argue the seizure must extend to vehicles some of the suspects donated to the PP.

The scandal has led to donor aid freeze.