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Bingu’s wealth attracts more claims

Mutharika's wealth has generated a lot of interest
Mutharika’s wealth has generated a lot of interest

It seems government is not the only claimant to the Bingu wa Mutharika wealth as his brother, Peter, who accuses Capital Hill of “property grabbing”, suggests.

First, it was the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) which last year started demanding that the former leader’s estate pay duty on 41 vehicles that the late Mutharika bought.

Then last month, it emerged that government, through the Estate Duty Commissioners, wants to tax the deceased estate and, therefore, hired YWM Property Investment Company, run by Yeremiah Chihana, to value the estate to establish the basis for Treasury’s share.

A week or so later, a certain lawyer reportedly demanded K3.6 billion from the same kitty for services rendered.

And now Albaraka Charity Trust, owned by Petroda Malawi Limited, has also laid a claim to Lonrho House that falls under the fallen leader’s Bineth Trust.

The claim is in form of four cautions for various plots of land in Limbe that Albaraka Charity Trust secured from registrar of land Killian Remmie Palika on July 5 2013.

The plots—which Albaraka Charity Trust confirmed are within the Lonrho House complex—include LE212, LE459, LE371 and LE211A.

All these properties appear in the former president’s property evaluation report.

A source close to Albaraka said the claim was in relation to unsettled money, but it is not clear how the Petroda run trust is linked to property that Mutharika bought in 2009 while he was the country’s Head of State.

“It is true that there is a caution and it is in connection with unsettled money. So, the trust is claiming its money because the former president did not settle some money,” said the well-placed Petroda source.

Petroda Malawi Limited general manager Zebeir Bhana declined to shed more light on the issue, saying the trustees of Albarakah were not in the country.

“All we can comment at this stage is that the matter is being discussed with the trustees of Bineth Trust,” said Bhana.

The estate of Mutharika, who died on April 5 last year, is said to be more than K61 billion.

The deceased estate is already caught up in legal battles as government is seeking K5 billion in unpaid estate duty while the family is fighting over its administration.

On June 26 2013, government won a High Court order in Zomba freezing all but one bank account belonging to the late president and also blocking the rest of the former leader’s estate from usage or transaction.

This was after government sought an injunction stopping anyone from using the Mutharika estate over concerns that the property was being tampered with, among other grounds.

On the other hand, former first lady Callista Mutharika has agreed with her step daughters Duwa and Tapiwa to appoint new administrators of the controversial estate.

Callista, who does not appear on the “last will” left by the late president, filed an application in the High Court to remove Duwa and Tapiwa as administrators of the estate.

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4 Comments

  1. I pray that Malawians would learn to give constructive ideas on the media other than cursing and using languages which sometimes do not even give sense. A pot is boiling. One day we shall witness one tribe fighting another tribe because of our careless comments on some issues. We should not take things for granted. We shall one day be all losers. Kutukwanana, kunyozana, kutchulana maina achipongwe ngakhale kunyozerana mitundu komwe tachokera ndi chiyambi cha masautso akuru ngati sitinmgasamale. Tikalephera kuphunzira kuchita bwino mu nthawi ya mtendere tidzaphunzira kuchita bwino ndi kuyamba kup[atsana ulemu mu nthawi ya mabvuto. Ndithu mkwiya wa mitundu ukutukutira chapansipnasi. M’maiko m’mene muli kusala mitundu ndiponso kuukirana zinayamba choncho koma eni ake amaona ngati akuchita demokorase. Tiyeni tipewe. Inu eni manyuzi tsiku lina mudzasowa wowerenga manyuzi anu chifukwa linso chiyambi chachikuru chosongozera chisokonekero. Tiyeni tiyesetse kuufuna mtendere ndikukhala mu mtendere nthawi zonse osamakondwera ndi zosayenera.

  2. I pray that Malawians would learn to give constructive ideas on the media other than cursing and using languages which sometimes do not even give sense. A pot is boiling. One day we shall witness one tribe fighting another tribe because of our careless comments on some issues. We should not take things for granted. We shall one day be all losers. Kutukwanana, kunyozana, kutchulana maina achipongwe ngakhale kunyozerana mitundu komwe tachokera ndi chiyambi cha masautso akuru ngati sitinmgasamale. Tikalephera kuphunzira kuchita bwino mu nthawi ya mtendere tidzaphunzira kuchita bwino ndi kuyamba kup[atsana ulemu mu nthawi ya mabvuto. Ndithu mkwiyo wa mitundu ukutukutira chapansipnasi. M’maiko m’mene muli kusala mitundu ndiponso kuukirana zinayamba choncho koma eni ake amaona ngati akuchita demokorase. Tiyeni tipewe. Inu eni manyuzi tsiku lina mudzasowa wowerenga manyuzi anu chifukwa a linso chiyambi chachikuru chosongozera chisokonekero. Tiyeni tiyesetse kuufuna mtendere ndikukhala mu mtendere nthawi zonse osamakondwera ndi zosayenera.

    1. Zoona mwanena inu a mwmkhoma. Zonyozana mitundu zikuwopsa. Amasonkha moto ndi amanyuzi a pa internet monga nyasatimes, Malawi voice etc chifukwa chakuti samachita edit out comments zotukwanana pamitundu. Iwowo azitha kutaya ma comments oipa. Ofunikanso tipemphe a mipingo kuti ayitnge nkhaniyi pa ma gome.

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