BLANTYRE (MaraPost)—Malawi Finance Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo has denied involvement in the cash gate scandal when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
Mphwiyo, who was making his first public appearance since he was shot at the gate of his Area 43 residence on September 13, said during the short period he was in that office, he noted some anomalies and he alerted authorities on the steps that needed to be taken.
When his time came to speak, Mr. Mphwiyo started by saying that he was excited to have met the committee so that he can give his side of the story regarding his shooting and looting of government money.
He told the gathering that when he became budget director in mid July, he discovered that there were many irregularities in the integrated financial management system commonly known as IFMIS.
He further said due to the level of weaknesses in the system, he suggested that there should a complete change of the system.
Paul Mphwiyo insisted that during the one and a half months that he was in office, he did his best to correct things.
He also said at the time government was waiting for the IMF mission to review the budget he noted that the levels of borrowing that the reserve bank of Malawi had were different with what the ministry of finance had.
He said he demanded a print out to know who was spending what but unfortunately he never got to see it because he was shot a few days later.
Quizzed by one of the members of PAC Henry Musa on what he knows about the people that have been arrested in connection with his shooting.
Mphwiyo’s response was that he has an idea on what might have led to his shooting and the suspects behind it but that he could not reveal the details now as that would jeopardize investigations into the matter which as of now is already in court.
Mphwiyo also defended himself on the assets that he has which include a mansion in area 43 and posh cars by saying that it is possible for a young man like him to accumulate wealth at his age adding that he already gave details of his assets to the Anti Corruption Bureau.
He said the problem in Malawi is that success is not a phenomenon and people are jealousy of those that have succeeded adding that there are other things that he does apart from being budget director.
Mphwiyo sent the room into stitches of laughter when said he does not have to be apologetic for being blessed by God.
The budget Director then described as nonsensical media reports that suggested that he was being used as a conduit for siphoning money from government from one point to another.
The room then went into total silence when Mphwiyo narrated the shooting ordeal. He told the room that on that day he found five people outside his gate.
He disclosed that he still has two bullets in his body which doctors could not remove.
Meanwhile Chairperson of PAC Beatrice Mwangonde says her committee will discuss and come up with the way forward on the matter.
She said PAC will table a report in Parliament on the issue when the house reconvenes in January.–MARAPOST
