Former President Peter Mutharika should explain his reciept of K145 million from Zameer Karim and the cementgate which his aides used his Tax Pin number, the Peoples Party (PP) has said.
Peoples Party spokesperson Ackson Kalaile Banda said the former ruling party was incensed by repeated provocations by Mutharika who he says makes ” “unsubstantiated scathing remarks towards our leader.”
Banda said was angry with Mutharika over remarks he made on Saturday at a rally in Mangochi, mockingly referred to former President and PP leader Joyce Banda as “Abiti Cashgate.”
“Peddling of such statements is uncalled for and beneath what is expected of him as Former President and responsible leadership in general,” said Kalaile Banda. He said the party does not want to entertain political discourse that is very disturbing, unnecessary, archaic, and deceptive.
“Prof. Mutharika may need to be reminded that issues around Cashgate have and continue to be dealt with by credible international auditors, law enforcement agencies and Malawi’s trusted legal framework,” said Kalaile Banda saying there has never been evidence that Presidnet Banda was involved.
He said Mutharika should remember that during his reign, the Anti-Corruption Bureau-ACB exonerated Banda from any involvement in Cashgate and that she won a defamation case she brought before court following similar propaganda as Mutharika made in Mangochi.
“Prof. Mutharika must not try to divert people’s attention from real issues. It is him who the Anti-Corruption Bureau established to have received K145 million from a local businessman to corruptly influence business links,” charges the PP publicist.
Kalaile Banda adds, “Malawians also know now that he allegedly gave leeway to his cronies to abuse his Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) for other unrelated interests in what has been termed as 5-billion-kwacha Cementgate scandal. We will continue to resist the temptation to call him Mr. Cement.”
Peoples Party called the DPP leader to practice fair politics by presenting facts as they ought to be. DPP spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba was yet to comment on People’s Party reaction. Mutharika on Saturday went to town on Banda and President Lazarus Chakwera. He defeated Banda in 2014 and lost to Chakwera in a fresh elections held in June 2020.
