A Malawi Judge Fiona Mwale has convicted Caroline Savala of cashgate charges to be sentenced later. Justice Fiona Mwale of the High Court convicted Savala for corruption and theft of public funds amounting to K84 million which she received from the Malawi Tourism Ministry as payment through her company, KAMU Civil Engineering.
As the trend with other convicted cashgate offenders before her, she received all this money without providing any services.
Carolina Savala was represented by reputed lawyer Ralph Kasambara. It now appears that Mr Kasambara is losing his Teflon reputation as yet another person he has represented has been convicted.
Raphael Kasambara himself is a defendant in the cashgate matter and attempted murder of Paul Mphwiyo the catalyst to the whole Cashgate saga.
Carolina Savala joins Osward Lutepo, Victor Sithole, Lyson Dzinyemba Soko and Triza Namathanga as cashgate convicts to date.
The forensic investigation undertaken by UK based firm, Baker Tilly, was initially thought to be K24 billion siphoned from the government coffers between 2012 and 2013 when Joyce Banda was president. Since those findings, the amount is now in excess K553 billion and counting.
Oswald Lutepo who will soon be sentenced as he pleaded guilty to his own case is said to want to turn to state witness against former Malawi President Joyce Banda who he accuses to be the master mind of cashgate and the biggest beneficiary. Lutepo accuses Joyce Banda of using the money to fund her failed Presidential campaign which she lost miserably.
The Cashgate suspects also include the Malawi Army where former General Henry Odillo and Lt Col Clement T. Kafuwa for receiving money through their company Thuso Investments amounting to K1.9bn without supplying services to the Malawi Army.
As the list of suspects and those arrested grows including very powerful people in the country, concerns for the security of investigators are growing in the country following the death of a senior officer at the ACB.
