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DPP links veep to Cash-gate

Outlined measures to fight corruption and fraud: Kachali
Outlined measures to fight corruption and fraud: Kachali

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has linked Vice-President Khumbo Kachali to a company allegedly connected to the plunder of public funds at Capital Hill through payments without delivering services.

The revelations caused a disruption on the first day of the brought-forward Parliament meeting in Lilongwe yesterday, with leader of DPP in the House George Chaponda questioning the Vice-President’s authority to address the House on the matter.

Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda had to intervene to rescue Kachali, granting the Vice-President the go-ahead to deliver his statement, which in the end DPP and fellow opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) described as empty.

Speaking after Kachali made his statement, Chaponda said since his party’s proposal to gag the Vice-President was shot down, DPP would still push him for answers.

Chaponda argued that only President Joyce Banda was the right person to address Parliament on the matter.

“We are raising this objection in light of the events at Capital Hill and the statement the VP will give to Parliament. Since the meeting of the Business Committee [of Parliament] which agreed that he should address Parliament, we had not known the VP was involved in the scandal,” he said, attracting wild applause from the opposition benches.

But the government side, through Leader of the House Henry Phoya, said attempts to usurp control of government business in Parliament would not be tolerated.

In his ruling on the matter, the Speaker said the Vice-President was wearing two hats, that of his office and as his own person; hence, he could not be gagged from making a statement in Parliament as Vice-President.

Said the Speaker: “If members have information relating to the Vice-President as an individual, they shall be free to do so at an appropriate time.”

This is what spurred on DPP to address Kachali’s links to the cash-gate during debate on his statement which is expected to start this morning.

Throughout the exchanges between the government and opposition benches, calls of ‘K61 billion’ from the government side, in an apparent reference to former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s alleged wealth, could be heard each time a DPP member of Parliament (MP) stood up to make a statement. On the other hand, opposition MPs were heard shouting “kuopa ndewu” (you are afraid of confrontation) as Phoya pleaded for cooperation.

In his statement, Kachali informed the House of government’s actions undertaken since the fraud was disclosed. The measures, he said, include suspension of the government accounting system, the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis), institution of a forensic audit dating back to 2006 and legal reforms such as tabling of Declaration of Assets Bill.

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7 Comments

  1. Mr assan can u pls investigate this man coz we are hearing that after became vp he bought more Than 100 trucks,

  2. Koma zomwe zuma akunena kuno mukumva? Kodi a malawi tinabadwa bwanji osafuna kutukula dziko lathu.Kuba basi!

  3. Kukana declare your assets kuja nkhani zake ndi izi, these people should be pinned down and alandidwe zakubazo

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