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Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima appears to be implicated in the famed “CashGate” Scandals

 

Chilima is said to have directly benefited from the Cashgate loot through corrupt sale of cars and houses between himself and Namata. Last week the High Court in Lilongwe said Namata and his colleague Luke Kasamba have a case to answer on cashgate and that they must defend themselves.

Namata spent 4 months on remand, at Maula prison, after 33 company owners named him as the source of cheques totaling K9.3 billion.

The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has since prepared 93 separate cases against Namata. Currently only 4 of the 93 cases have kicked off. They are: 1) where he is being accused with Luke Kasamba to have stolen K24million, 2) Where he is being accused with Caroline Savala to have stolen K49million and 3) where he is being accused with his wife Alice Namata to have stolen K243million through a company called Khanye Investments, which is registered and is co-owned by the couple and, 4) where he is being accused to have stolen K73million with Sibongile Chimphango (Namata’s girlfriend).

A Police report which went to Mr. Bophani, former deputy inspector general of police and then head of Cashgate investigations during Pres Joyce Banda era, indicated that Mr. Namata, bought a brand new E Class Mercedes Benz LA7373 from Chilima in or around August, 2013, at an inflated price of K22.5million when the Market Price for a new such Mercedes Benz was K16.2million.

Traffic Department also confirmed purchase and change of ownership of the said vehicle. Apparently, this was one way of ‘thanking’ Chilima for helping out Mrs. Lucy Namata Horea, a sister to Maxwell Namata, with a contract at Airtel worth K9million when the Vice President was working with the company.

Chilima had, then, also corruptly recruited a Mrs. Anne Likalamo Phiri, Namata’s direct cousin, as an assistant Marketing Manager at Airtel.There were many dubious transactions which took place between Namata and Chilima but among the few that have been confirmed by Malawi Housing Corporation and Ministry of Lands are:

Transfer of ownership from Mr. Namata to Mr. Chilima of a 2 stairs house on Plot Number 47/1/189 and Transfer of ownership from Mr. Namata to Mr. Chilima of a House on Plot Number 44/2/227 which were priced as low as K9.5million and K7million respectively.

The Houses are in low density areas of 47 and 44 in Lilongwe and the said price would only suffice for undeveloped plots in such locations.The investigations have further revealed that it was not uncommon to see Mr. Namata in the Company of Mr. Chilima and the then Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo at the Africana Club in Lilongwe City Centre.

They have allegedly been close friends since 2010, according to a sworn affidavit by a National Intelligence Bureau agent.

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