Court finds MCP official guilty of cashgate

The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court has found Malawi Congress Party (MCP) deputy director of youth Wyson Zinyemba Soko guilty of theft and money laundering for his involvement in Cashgate.

Soko becomes the third person to be convicted in the myriad Cashgate cases currently before the courts.

Passing judgement on Tuesday, Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Patrick Chirwa said the State had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Soko had in his possession K40.9 million ($90 000) knowing the funds were proceeds from crime.

The court heard that Soko was paid K40.9 million through his company Watipaso General Dealers from the Ministry of Tourism vote when the company had no contract with government, as testified by various government officials during trial.

Chirwa also trashed Soko’s assertions during his testimony that a Godfrey Banda used his company and the money belonged to Banda because he gave “illogical and emotional” answers when cross-examined on the particulars of the Banda.

“I found the statements very strange and entirely unbelievable,” Chirwa said.