K500mil struck off Bakili Muluzi case
Another K500 million has been deducted from the K1.7 billion former president Bakili Muluzi and his former personal assistant Violet Whiskey are being accused of having corruptly acquired.
This happened after principal witness acknowledged in court on Monday that he had no knowledge of corruption on money that was being deposited in the Muluzi’s personal account.
The K500 million has been decucted after another K100 million was struck off when prosecution witness, Victor Banda, a former assistant director and head of prosecution for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) , agreed that the money should not be part of the cumulative figure as there was no indication it was corruptly acquired.
The deductions, among others, include K11 million whose method of payment was a loan deposited into Muluzi’s account at Loita Investment Bank and a K80 million loan from Stanbic Bank (now Standard Bank) which Muluzi got for the construction of Keza Office Park.
Muluzi’s lead counsel, Tamando Chokotho, argued that the court does not have material to ascertain that the K1.7 billion was disproportionate to his client’s known sources of income and that he can only be called to explain how he got the money if his known sources of income have been brought before court.
Chokhotho assisted by Jai Banda, asked the court to compel the State to relook at the charge sheet and amend it after the State added a loan transaction of about K20 million ($27 397), which Muluzi took from Loita Bank, to be considered as “money obtained corruptly.”
“We were wondering why Dr Muluzi should be answering charges of corruption involving transactions made after he had already left office and other transactions which the State obviously knows do not hold any water.
“Those cases are only delaying the progress of the matter and the best they should do is to amend the charge sheet to avoid a protracted trial of the case,” said Chokotho.
ACB is continueing with the K1.7 billion corruption trial even after the lead prosecutor Reyneck Matemba recused himself from the case and the ACB boss Lucas Kondowe being on record saying the evidence against the former president is weak.
Muluzi, Malawi’s president from 1994 to 2004, was arrested in 2005 by the ACB for allegedly diverting into his personal accounts what the State claimed was donor money amounting to $11 million. But cord records shows there was no donor funds diverted.
Muuzi’s lawyer, Chokotho said the defence will have to make calculations, which will be done at the time they are making submissions in order to know the exact amount struck off from the K1.7 billion.
“We will have to make the calculations and that will be done at the time that we are making submissions.
“We are going transaction by transaction and there are lots of transactions and we may not have any figure at all,” said Chokotho.
The case has been running since 2009 and trial resumed on April 11 2016.
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So he is less corrupt now!! KIKIKI
There wasn’t any corruption in the first place, but politics was at play. As usual, Malawians were lied and used as pons in their smear campaigns.
In Malawi there is no true justice as the rich get protection from those in high authority while the poor languish in death traps called prisons because they can’t afford legal representation to set them off the hook!
Mutharika rewarding Muluzi in grand style. All of a sudden, after all these years of court appearances, we are NOW talking about the figures. You may think this will be payment enough for the presidency handed to Bingu but trust me, for Bakili Muluzi, ending this case alone won’t be enough. His other demand will be known soon after we are done with this case or once the gravity of this case get diluted which is what he is fighting for. Lets wait til late 2017 to early 2018 when the next (real) demand will be made in a typical… Read more »
This country in terrible mercy of recursions and injunctions such that people with high sense of integrity may start to wonder and consider the Malawi judicial system to be in HDU ( HIGH DEPENDANCE UNIT ) or a morgue departure lounge. Why is it Judges or Magistrates always discover that they are related to the accussed haalf way through the trial or just when a case has gone all through the judicial process then you hear such and such judge is recursing themselves because of this and that. Why are our courts be abused with injunction after injunction or counter… Read more »
Wakwiya ndinfiti
Atcheya Woyeeeeeeeee
I pray the Judge will borrow a leaf from Mtambo!! These guys are just trying to run away from the truth……….!! Don’t hoodwink us that the total sum was Muluzi’s money!! Our memories are still fresh he miserably had nothing (and Makhumula had to pay for him) when he contested as presidential candidate in 1994. As such and by Malawian standards, how did he generate the money?? How does one who claimed to be representing Malawians (for a monthly salary) claim that the monies well wishers gave Malawians were his money? To our beloved Judge, my plea is that please… Read more »
Having worked for the Bureau i have always wondered why Muluzi was still being pursued. The state cannot win this case as there is no itrefutable evidence. The money from Libya was given to Muluzi and not Malawi. Why cant govt produce the cheques. Upon appointment as Bureau chief Nampota was instructed to make sure Muluzi got convicted. I was given the case to investigate and i found no evidence which was strong enough to get Muluzi comvicted. I told Nampota to drop the case but he vehemently refused because he had to please Bingu.
PALIBE MLANDU APA.
A Muluzi adamangidwa mu ulamuliro wa DPP ndipo a Muluzi amasulidwanso mu ulamuliro wa DPP! Palibe chachilendo apa. Izi zidakonzedwa kuti zidzayenda chonchi!
Muluzi has spent more money in this case than the amount he’s been accused of, and government has spent twice as much our taxes. All for political smear campaign of Bingu to burry his un thankfulness after Bakili did him good. Unfortunately, Malawians will have to repay Bakili all his money plus interest after this trumped up case is dismissed. TIYENI TITENGEREPO PHUNZIRO KUTI SIBWINO KUBWEZERA CHOIPA NZAKO AKAKUCHITIRA CHABWINO.