Malawi Cashgate: Godfrey Dzanjalimodzi awaits sentencing in K338 million theft

…now remanded to prison, gets bail revoked

As the crackdown into the Cashgate scandal rages on, renowned contractor Godfrey Dzanjalimodzi has been found guilty in a money laundering case involving K338 million, through his construction company, WG Construction.

He however pleaded not guilty to the charges of theft and money laundering despite Justice Ivy Kamanga telling the court that the evidence that the prosecution brought in the court had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt.

One of the witnesses was Mavuto Madimbo who was co-director of Dzanjalimodzi WG Construction Company.

He told the court that it was at this point that he  became scared when Dzanjalimodzi informed him that a K91 million cheque was deposited into the company account but its source was unknown.

Madimbo said when he queried Dzanjalimodzi he was told there was nothing to discuss and that he (Madimbo) should leave things alone.

The State also paraded as a witness National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) technical director Gerald Khonje who confirmed to the court that WG Construction was registered and flouted council regulations when it was named in the RSM (formerly Baker Tilly) forensic report among suspects to have fraudulently obtained money from the government.

He said NCIC suspended WG Construction and called the three directors to a hearing where they opted to remain silent.

Meanwhile, Dzanjalimodzi’s bail has since been revoked and he has been remanded to prison. He will sentenced on a date yet to be announced.

He joins the list of other politicians, businesspersons and civil servants to be convicted and jailed on various charges related to the scandal.

Former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Treza Namathanga Senzani (now late) became the first convict sentenced out of the more than 50 people arrested in connection with the fracas.

Senzani was apprehended in 2013 having issued two Cheques to her own company, which according to police never had the provision of goods or services to the government.

Other convicts, former Assistant Accountant in the government Victor Sithole later joined her on the list.

Sithole was jailed for nine years having being found guilty of of being found in possession of unexplained cash suspected to have been stolen amounting to K112 million , $31 800 (about K13.6 million) and R122 400 (about K4.5 million) in hard cash which was found at his house in Area 47 in September 2013.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Deputy Director of Youth Wyson Zinyemba Soko was then sent to prison for seven years. Soko was found in possession of MK40.9 million ($90 000), attained in corrupt ways.

The scandal saw donors withdrawing their support to Malawi amid similar revelations – this time led by civil servants where billions of kwachas went uncounted for in a scandal better known as Cashgate.

Police in the commercial city of Blantyre have shot dead a son of Pastor Fletcher Kaiya who escaped from a police cell when he was probed on charges of armed robbery.

The son Jonathan Kaiya 30, is reported to have stolen a Demo unit vehicle from CFAO, he was caught and later jailed at Soche Police unit where he surprisingly escaped.

He then fled to Mozambique using a Zagaf truck full of cement which he also stole.

He sold the truck and cement and came back to Malawi.

Blantyre police deputy spokesperson Andrew Mayawo confirmed the arrest to Malawi24 saying  rearrested Kaiya was re arrested on Monday and he was kept in custody pending for his court appearance.

While in custody Kaiya confessed to have had a friend with Ak47 gun and that he wanted to have the gun confiscated by the police.

Mayawo added that the police were then surprised to be attacked by Kaiya who managed to confiscate a piston from one of the officers who were on duty to get the Ak47 gun.

It is after making a couple of resistance moves that the law enforcers shot him dead.

Kaiya was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) and the officer who got shot got admitted at the hospital for treatment.

He  hailed from Kandeu village,Traditional Authority (T.A) Ganya in Ntcheu district