Tag Archives: George Saonda

Politics, Top News

DPP assigned me to insult Catholic Bishops, Priests- George Saonda of UTM claims

Special Absalom
By Alick Mhango
One of the officials of the newly formed UTM party George Saonda said the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) assigned him the duty of insulting Malawi Catholic Bishops and priests where ever they meet.
Fearless Saonda said this on Saturday in Dedza district where UTM organized its rally.
The rally was graced by its interim leader Dr Saulos Chilima who is also the country’s President.
Speaking at the podium, Saonda said DPP Secretary general Gridezer Jeffrey wa Jeffrey was the mastermind.
He said among the seven assigned ‘evil’ duties by the ruling DPP one was to insult Catholic Bishops and Priests.
However, he said he vehemently opposed the evil plan hence his decision to dump DPP and joined UTM which he regarded as a ‘Saint’.
“I will be revealing all the assigned evil duties. DPP is led by evil people that’s why its secretary general assigned me seven evil things against its opponents but being a God fearing person I denied,” he revealed.
Saonda who was closed to the country’s President Peter Mutharika and one of the fearless person in the ruling DPP said UTM has potential people to lead and develop the country.
Newton Kambala one of the UTM officials spoke during the rally described Saonda as a person who love Malawians more than everyone.
According to Kambala, if Saonda was greedy he would have not dumped the ruling DPP.
Law and order, Malawi, Top News

Crackdown in UTM financiers as Malawi police arrests Saonda for MK17 million theft

Maravi Post Reporter
The United Transformation Movement (UTM)’s fundraising drive has landed one of its top officials George Saonda in trouble as  police have arrested him today for stealing money amounting to K17 million from two foreign nationals – a Nigerian and a Burundian.
National police spokesperson James Kadadzera has confirmed the arrest and said Saonda was being kept at Chileka police.
In the first case, Saonda alongside well-known so-called football agent Kondi Msungama and another person approached a Burundian, Alfonso Garetha, and lied to him that they would help process a Malawian citizenship for him and his nine children.
They pocketed K6.3 million from him and never delivered on the deal.
In the second case, Saonda approached a Nigerian based in Lilongwe and lied to him that he was selling land in the upmarket Area 43 in Lilongwe. He pocketed K10.6 million for this and he vanished.
UTM has been getting donations for its activities but senior people in the group have been complaining that Saulos Chilima is pocketing all the money and investing it in personal business such as buying a hotel in Zambia.
Instead he is asking to find own sources to raise money for the group, hence Saonda’s predicament.
However, Saonda has a track-record of extortion and has been arrested before on several cases.
In 2017, Saonda made media headlines when he reported being embroiled in bribery scandal where he pocketed  millions of money from Indians lying to them that he has connections for them to get business deals.
In 2016, he was arrested for conning a South African business tycoon of K152 million.
According to the reports, the business man gave the money to Saonda on the agreement that he would be awarded business in form of tenders and other lucrative businesses.
In 2015, he conned a businessman in Mulanje (owner of Kokotowa Lodge at Chitakale) that he would help him process a licensed gun.
He kept fleecing him on this and other tricks such that the man almost got bankrupt, sold part of the structures of his lodge. He never got the gun and Soanda kept telling him lies.
Saonda’s arrest comes two days after another UTM member Dr Simbiri for stealing ESCOM electricity amounting to MK12 million.
Simbiri illegally tapped ESCOM electricity and connected to his business premises in Lilongwe.
UTM whose leader is Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima is yet to response on its officials being arrested for theft and fraud.