Doreen Kapanga: suspected to have siphoned money from public purse
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has today given a nod to restart hearing a 2016 case involving former Malawi deputy ambassador to Ethiopia, Doreen Kapanga and former secretary for administration and finance Fletcher Chowe.
The two are being accused of siphoning K293 million ($409 790) out of the public purse and depositing the money into their personal accounts.
Kapanga’s lawyer, Khumbo Soko, today made an application asking the court to have the state witnesses recalled and examined by the new presiding Magistrate Patrick Chirwa who took over the case from Violet Chipao now judge of the High Court.
One witness had already testified and a second witness was expected to conclude testifying.
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Steven Kayuni earlier objected to the request by the defence arguing that the matter has dragged for long and needs to be disposed.
The state is expected to parade six witnesses and one of the witnesses is based in Ethiopia.
The court has set 4th- 5th August 2021 to restart the hearing.
Fiscal Police arrested Kapanga and Chowe in 2016 and they were released on bail few days after the arrest.
An investigative audit into the plunder of resources at Malawi Embassy in Ethiopia revealed that K293 million was siphoned out of the public purse and deposited into personal accounts.
Before her appointment to Ethiopia, Kapanga was a Deputy Inspector General of Police.
LILONGWE-(Maravi Post)–The former deputy Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service (MPS) Doreen Kapanga with her counterpart Fletcher Chowe, former Secretary for Administration and Finance have been granted bail following their arrest on Tuesday for being allegedly involved in the looting of taxpayers money pegged at MK293 million at Malawi’s embassy office in Ethiopia.
Chief Resident Magistrate Ruth Chinangwa on Thursday granted the duo bail bond of MK 1 million each and ordered them not to dispose of their properties until the case ends.
Magistrate Chinangwa further ordered the accused to report to Area 30 Police Headquarters once every week.
Chinangwa has therefore set May 30, 2016 as the date Kapanga and Chowe will appear in court for committal.
Both Kapanga and Fletcher Chowe who were serving as Malawi’s deputy ambassador and first secretary for administration and finance at the mission respectively were implicated in the plunder and were consequently suspended and recalled from Malawi’ Embassy in Ethiopia.
But earlier this month, when addressing a news conference, Francis Kasayira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed sadness over the looting which is currently pegged at MK293 million from earlier disclosure of MK20 million.
Kasayira promised the nation that all public officers involved in the looting would be taken to task for repayment of the money stolen. He further disclosed that the ministry plans to recall 50 diplomats in foreign mission who have stayed more than the required three years-tenure of office.
“I would like to report to the nation, through you, members of the press that the Auditors we had assigned to undertake the exercise are now back and they have indeed uncovered massive fraudulent activities taking place at the Mission.
“The report, shows that there has been systematic and merciless plunder of public resources at the Addis Ababa Mission from 2013. As much as US$406,246.15 (or K293 million) has been siphoned out by three of the Missions officials of the Embassy into their accounts”, says Minister Kasayira.
Kasayira further indicated that the issue was now a matter of theft and has been forwarded to the prosecuting authorities to do their investigations and prosecute those who were involved in this plunder of public resources.
It is reported that the diplomats in Embassy had been writing cheques in their names until they were caught red handed in similar acts.
The development comes amid the nation’s struggling economically with high inflation, skyrocketing good and services prices among others.
LILONGWE (Maravi Post)—The former deputy Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service (MPS) Doreen Kapanga has been arrested for being allegedly involved in the looting of taxpayers’ money pegged at MK293 at Malawi’s embassy office in Ethiopia.
Deputy Malawi Police National Spokesperson, Thomeck Nyaude confirmed the development to The Maravi Post last evening saying that the arrest of Kapanga is in connection with fraud at Malawi’s Embassy in Ethiopia.
Nyaude was non committal on where Kapanga was kept as investigations are still underway. Both Kapanga and Fletcher Chowe who were serving as Malawi’s deputy ambassador and first secretary for administration and finance at the mission respectively were implicated in the plunder and were consequently suspended and recalled from Malawi’ Embassy in Ethiopia.
But earlier this month, Francis Kasayira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed sadness over the looting. He promised the nation that all public officers involved in the looting would be taken to task for repayment of the money stolen
He further disclosed that the ministry plans to recall 50 diplomats in foreign mission who have stayed more than the required three years-tenure of office.
“As you are aware, the Ambassador at our Mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia reported of an attempted fraud by members of staff at the Mission. The Ministry therefore, instituted an Investigative Audit at the Mission to establish if indeed the fraud had occurred, the extent of the fraud, the perpetrators of the fraud and identify the weakness in the system of internal controls which led to this fraud.
“I would like to report to the nation, through you, members of the press that the Auditors we had assigned to undertake the exercise are now back and they have indeed uncovered massive fraudulent activities taking place at the Mission.
“The report shows that there has been systematic and merciless plunder of public resources at the Addis Ababa Mission from 2013. As much as US$406,246.15 (or K293 million) had been siphoned out by three of the Mission officials of the Embassy into their accounts,” said Minister Kasayira.
Kasayira further indicated that the issue was now a matter of theft and has been forwarded to the prosecuting authorities to do their investigations and prosecute those who were involved in this plunder of public resources
“The Ministry has also written the Auditor General to conduct independent audits in all the other Missions beginning with those which have not been audited in the recent past. We have been informed that the NAO are starting the exercise with Pretoria Mission and Johannesburg consulate from 9th May 2016,” disclosed Kasayira.
It is reported that the diplomats at the Embassy had been writing Cheques in their names until they were caught red handed in similar acts.
The development comes amid the nation’s struggling economically with high inflation, skyrocketing good and services prices among others.
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