BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director Reyneck Matemba said the graft-busting bureau is failing to find objective evidence linking former President Joyce Banda to Cashgate during her tenure.
Number of cash gate convicts including Oswald Lutepo, Leonard Kalonga and the late Treaser Senzani have been testifying against Joyce Banda.
This reporter understand that Joyce Banda ordered an independent audit of the corruption revelations, which was conducted by British firm RSM (formerly Baker Tilly). The findings were released in 2014.
Speaking to journalist in Blantyre on Thursday, Matemba disclosed that the British firm never linked Banda to any corruption.
According to him, all the bureau has were testimonies that were recorded from Cashgate convicts – Oswald Lutepo, Leonard Kalonga and the late Treaser Senzani.
Asked to explain what Police said that authorities had obtained an arrest warrant for Banda, the ACB Czar said Fiscal Department of Malawi Police have been doing their own investigation on financial crimes.
Last year James Kadadzera, a police public relations officer, said authorities had obtained an arrest warrant for Banda.
“The evidence gathered raises reasonable suspicion that the former president committed offences relating to abuse of office and money laundering,” he said in a statement.
But Banda has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Through her spokesperson Andekuche Chanthunya, Banda said yesterday the issue has been repeatedly spoken about and that she has made it clear that she played no role; hence, cannot say much.
He said: “We have always maintained that Dr Joyce Banda knows nothing about Cashgate and she doesn’t really have anything to say about it.”
Banda, who was Malawi’s president for two years from 2012, said that prior to Cashgate, the MK577 billion theft happened between 2009 and 2012 when former president the late Bingu Wa Mutharika was in charge, alleging that there must be a stubborn link between the MK577 billion scam and Cashgate.
She left the country when she lost in an election to Peter Mutharika and has not returned since 2014.
Banda has been living in the United States, serving as a distinguished fellow at Woodrow Wilson Center and the Center for Global Development in Washington, DC.