Ethiopia embassy fraud leaps to K293 million At a time when Malawi’s economy continues to stumble, a new audit report has revealed that money that was stolen at Malawi’s embassy in Ethiopia is K293 Million, a huge increase from the K20 Million that was earlier indicated, .The revelations were made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Kasaila during a press briefing in Lilongwe.Francis kasailaKasaila: Govt is worried.According to Kasaila, officials at the embassy had been siphoning money into their personal accounts and that lack of an audit had led to more money being stolen.Last month, Malawi’s deputy ambassador Doreen Kapanga and secretary Fletcher Chowe in Ethiopia had been suspended as the findings then revealed that they stole money amounting to K20 Million. But a fresh audit says the amount stolen is in the region of K293 Million.”This is why we want to be having audits in such offices overtime. The economy is struggling and this is bad news,” said the worried looking Kasaila. It is reported that the diplomats there had been writing cheques in their names until they were caught red handed in similar acts.In a related development, a National Audit Office has revealed that civil servants and other unscrupulous Malawians defrauded government of K2.5 billion of donor money meant for HIV and Aids fight.

The report that we have seen indicates that a total of K2,520, 272, 421.62 was stolen between 2013 and 2015 through various dubious means.The biggest financial scandal which hit Malawi which is popularly known as cashgate saw K24 billion being lost.

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MALAWI FACING A MILITARY INVASION News just coming in is that there was tension at Tsangano as the Mozambican military soldiers invaded the Malawi side in a war threatening manner. The Malawi government in retaliation sent its Lilongwe based soldiers from the Kamuzu Barracks where the Malawians felt a bit relieved. We understand that the Mozambican government was confiscating some juices from Burundian traders in their country who ran into Malawi. Without regard to protocol or peace treaties the Mozambique soldiers crossed the boarders armed to the teeth and caused havoc in Malawi. The Malawi defense forces had to be called to query the situation. After some six hours of camping in the area the combat team from the Malawi soldiers have withdrawn but an intelligence team from the army is still there. Meanwhile the government of Malawi has deployed Malawi Police Service C Division, also from Lilongwe to camp in the peace threatened area This sad development comes barely a week after Presidents of the two countries held in door discussions. Malawi is also hosting thousands of refugees from the war torn Mozambique. No official report as of now but sources in police say it is true that their team is there after the withdrawal of the Army.

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Journalism students commemorate press freedom day in style

As the country commemorated World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday, the United States Embassy in the country invited journalism students to commemorate the day in style. United States Embassy in the country involved journalism students from Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) and Pentecostal Life University in a teleconference at United States Embassy auditorium in Lilongwe. The guest speaker during the teleconference was Prominent American Journalist Glenn Kessler who is a fact checker and investigative journalist for the Washington Post in America.Yvonne SunduSundu briefing journalism students during Tele-conferenceThe teleconference brought together a lot of journalism students around the world through United States Embassies in their respective countries. During the teleconference, journalism students were given a platform to ask Mr Kessler all sorts of question about press. In her remarks after the teleconference, Yvonne Sundu who is deputy chairperson of Media Institute of Southern Africa Malawi Chapter said that during this day journalists celebrate struggles and achievements in the journalism profession. “This day bring together all media practitioners to discuss various things about media in the country,” Said Sundu.Sundu added that MISA-MALAWI is trying every possible way to persuade concerned ministries like Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Information to table Access to Information bill in the forthcoming national assembly meeting.Sundu further said that there are some issues in the country that journalists cannot uncover due to lack of Access to Information law. In the country the Day has been commemorated on the theme “Fostering freedom of expression,” and commemoration activities will happen on Saturday in Mangochi.

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High court gives govt cashgate buses The Lilongwe high court on Wednesday ruled that government should take full control of six Marcopolo buses seized from capital hill officials.The Marcoporo buses are valued at K520 million and their procurement was facilitated by former chief tourism officer in the ministry of tourism, Leonard Kalonga.Cashgate busesCashgate buses now under control of government.Following the arrest of Kalonga, the state prosecutor demanded that the buses are to be kept with the police so that they should be used as evidence in the court case.Last year, the court convicted Kalonga on his own plea of guilty for stealing K3.7 billion ($6.3 million).After the conviction, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) deputy director general Reyneck Matemba said they were to wait for legal ruling to dispose of the buses.In her ruling, Judge Fiona Mwale said government should take full control of the buses that were bought using taxpayers’ money.Confirming the development, Judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula said the ruling will help government in recovering money that was stolen from the public purse.“This is one way of recovering money that was stolen and it is up to the government to decide what to do with the buses,” said Mvula.The six buses had been stationed at area 30 Police headquarters in the capital city Lilongwe since 2013.

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Albino abductors get 25-year jail The first grade magistrate court in Dedza district has handed down a 25-year prison sentence to the two men who abducted Davis Fletcher Machinjiri last month.The convicts, Vuto Biswick and Emmanuel Robert on April 23 abducted Machinjiri with intent to traffic him to the Republic of Mozambique where he was later killed.CourtThe two were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit felony, trafficking in person, and abducting with intent to commit murder. They pleaded guilty on all three counts.However, state prosecutor Patrick Bean Chambuluka said the two still deserved a stiff sentence, arguing that a stiffer sentence always depends on the nature of the crime, circumstances of the offender, and public interest.Before passing sentence, first grade Magistrate Enete Jiya Banda showed the courtroom audience pictures of the mutilated body of 17 year-old Machinjiri.Cassim MandaManda: Says the sentence is a precedent in the fight against the attacks.Jiya Banda said what the convicts did is unwelcome to the society since a life was lost. She then sentenced them to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour on the first count of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 404 of penal code, 12 years IHL on second count of abducting with intent to murder contrary to section 261 of penal code, sentences which the magistrate said should run concurrently.The two abductors were also sentenced to 13 years imprisonment with hard labour on third count of trafficking in person contrary to section 15 sub section (1) of Trafficking Act no 3 of 2015.The High Court has since given the sentences a go ahead.Meanwhile, Dedza police deputy publicist Cassim Manda has expressed satisfaction with the sentence.

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Mutharika issues a fresh warning to Malawians Peter MutharikaMutharika;Warns Malawians.As the country is experiencing another period of food scarcity, President Peter Mutharika has asked Malawians not to sell their maize to vendors.Writing on his Facebook page, Mutharika discouraged those depleting their household food stocks.“It has come to my notice that some families across the country are already selling the grain they have harvested to vendors at very low prices.“As such this sad trend of letting go our food stocks this early does not augur well with our desire to ensure that every household has enough food until the next harvesting season,” wrote Mutharika.Media reports shows that vendors are flocking to rural areas to buy maize from stuck farmers.Following dry spells in two growing seasons, the President declared Malawi a state of national disaster and called on the international community to intervene.

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Mzuni only super league casualty in Presidential cup

Mzuni F.C remain the sole TNM super league side to bow out of the Presidential Cup after a disappointing 4-5 loss against Mchengautuba F.C on post match penalties on Wednesday.The two sides had settled for a 3-3 all draw after regulation time as Mzuni had scored with just a minute left to pull level as they trailed 2-3.mzuni fcMzuni booted out by Mchengautuba.But in the penalties, Mzuni missed their first through Russel Mwafulirwa while Mchengautuba converted all the spotkicks to book a place in the next round of the presidential cup.Mzuni’s coach Alex Ngwira blamed the loss to a casual approach his charges had on Mchengautuba.He said while he explained the essence of the game, his boys lacked the finishing power upfront and missed a lot of chances to win it.His counterpart’s chair, David Katete praised his boys for the effort and said they will be preparing for any other team that comes their way.Mzuni will be joined by a fellow super league side by the end of today as super league team Eoac F.C and Kamuzu Barracks play today.ENTIRE RESULTS AND NEXT FIXTURES IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CUP.PRESIDENTIAL CUP REGIONAL PLAYOFFS RESULTS AND FIXTURESSOUTHERN REGION FIRST ROUNDWednesday 4th May 2016 Azam Tigers 0 Zomba United 0 (5-4 0n penalties) Nyasa Big Bullets 5 Sable Farming 1 Red Lions 8 Chikolomo FC 2 Sayama 1 Wizards FC 3CENTRAL REGION FIRST ROUNDWednesday 4th May 2016 Silver Strikers 12 Chulu FC 0 Civo United 4 Msundwe FC 3 Mafco 15 Mkweza Youth 0 Soccer Saints Kasungu Medicals..still in progressThursday 5th May 2016 Blue Eagles FC vs. Madisi Madrid @ Nankhaka Kamuzu Barracks vs. Epac @ Civo StadiumNORTHERN REGION FIRST ROUNDWednesday 4th May 2016 Mzuni 3 Mchengabutuwa 3 (4-5) Masendesende 1 Usisya 0

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