Former minister of Justice Raphael Kasambara, who is currently facing money laundering charges unrelated to the previous attempted murder charge of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo, was granted bail yesterday afternoon.
Speaking in an interview on Friday after the ruling, his lawyer Wapona Kita said the bail conditions given are fair.
“My client has been told to pay K500 000 cash; produce two sureties each one bonded at K10 million non-cash; then he is supposed to report to the officer-in-charge once every fortnight; surrender his travelling document but this has already been done because of the other case; he should not leave Lilongwe without the permission of the Commissioner of Police and finally he has been told to take a bond of good behaviour,” he said.
Kasambara was arrested on Monday at his home in Area 10 and has been charged with money laundering alongside businessperson, Pika Manondo, who is already in custody over the attempted murder of Mphwiyo.
Also given bail yesterday by High Court judge Ivy Kamanga in the ongoing Cashgate was former principal secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Joster Njanji
His lawyer Dan Kuwali said after the bail ruling: “Njanji is required to make full disclosure of his assets and this is to be done by the police prosecutor; he should provide two sureties bonded at K35 million not cash and he himself is bonded at K30 million; he should report to the police prosecutor every fortnight; he should surrender his travel documents to the police prosecutor and avail himself for trial and he should not travel outside Lilongwe without the knowledge of the prosecutor,” said the lawyer.
Njanji is being charged with fraud by public servant and money laundering worth K2.6 billion.
Speaking earlier at Medi-clinic where he is currently undergoing treatment, Njanji described the charges as politically motivated.
Meanwhile hundreds of Kasambara supporters in Nkhata Bay on Thursday demonstrated against his arrests, arguing it is witch-hunting by People’s Party (PP).
But PP spokesperson Ken Msonda has dismissed the accusation saying the party has no powers to order arrests.
Former PP Nkhata Bay North-West district chairperson Manfred Lungu, who led the demonstration, said the arrests are a deliberate effort by government to bar Kasambara from contesting as MP in Nkhata Bay North West Constituency.
He said people in the constituency will not be frustrated by the arrests, but enhance campaign for Kasambara to win the election.
“There is no way people of this constituency can vote for PP. We will vote for Kasambara no matter how much they fight him,” said Lungu.
Ida Banda, who was PP Nkhata Bay North West Constituency chair lady, said if PP does not stop fighting Kasambara, his supporters will bar PP from campaigning in the constituency.
She said people of the constituency will see to it that Kasambara becomes an MP no matter the tactics PP is using to frustrate him.
“We are not threatening PP; it is PP that is threatening us by oppressing our aspirant. Because they have decided to oppress him, we will not allow them to campaign or hold any meeting here. Other parties will be allowed but not PP,” said Banda.
But Msonda called on the protesters to stop politicising Kasambara’s arrest.
He also condemned the threat that PP will be barred from campaigning in the constituency. He said PP is a democratic party and believes in tolerance.
“It cannot happen that anyone should bar us from campaigning. We allow other parties to campaign anywhere. So why should they be threatening us. It is our democratic right to campaign anywhere,” said Msonda
The demonstration was fueled by the re-arrest of Kasambara on money laundering charge.
Police issued a new warrant of arrest alleging that on July 26 last year, a cheque (number 000304) amounting to K55 million from International Procurement System (IPS) was deposited into account of Ralph and Arnolds; Ned Bank Lilongwe, but the money was suspected to be stolen money.
