Malawi: former ministers Ben Phiri, Mwanamveka Netted – Goodall Gondwe, Dalitso Kabambe will also be arrested

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Ben Phiri and Joseph Mwanamveka were arrested, two former high-ranking ministers who serve as parliamentarians in the ousted administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by Professor Peter Mutharika.

Senior police sources at the National Police Headquarters, Zone 30 in Lilongwe, confirmed that they arrested former Minister of Finance Joseph Mwanamveka and former Minister of Local Government Ben Malunga Phiri and that other senior government officials are about to be arrested.

“I can confirm that Ben Phiri and Joseph Mwanamveka have been arrested and I can also confirm that the former finance minister, Goodall Gondwe, 85, the former governor of the Dalitso Kabambe Reserve Bank will be arrested at any time,” the police source revealed.

The source said there will be more arrests in the coming days, including some very high level politicians.

Nyasa Times understands that Mwanamveka, Member of the DPP Parliament of Chiradzulu Sud, was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with the sale of the Malawi Savings Bank (MBS) which, at the time of the sale, was secretary to the Treasury.

Mwanamveka’s arrest comes barely 24 hours after Information Minister Gospel Kazako and Attorney General Thabo Nyirenda on Monday warned that the government would investigate the sale of the Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) which was sold for a song in 2015.

The bank was sold in 2015 for KK 9.6 billion under the Peter Mutharika administration.

In the same year, the government repaid around K6 billion in toxic loans on behalf of defaulting MSBs, including Mulli Brothers, with the belief that the borrowers will repay the money to the government.

Mwanamvekha held the post of Managing Director of the bank and he stepped down in 2009 and was later appointed Minister of Commerce in the Peter Mutharika administration when the bank was sold.

Mwanamveka, economist, was finance minister between 2019 and 2020 when Mutharika lost the election.

There have been allegations that the ousted DPP government administration was preparing numbers to make Malawi’s economy look better than it was. .

Yesterday, Attorney General Nyirenda warned that action would be taken against those who presented the falsified figures to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Chakaka Nyirenda, said the provision of false information to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on financial matters, which allegedly took place under the previous regime, will be investigated.

The government’s chief legal adviser said it unfortunately came at a high cost to the country as some grants and loans were withheld.

The AG warns that the officers involved will face criminal charges.

In addition, speaking recently in parliament, Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda severely warned of the possible consequences for those he believes are responsible for preparing figures presented to the IMF and the Commission. World Bank.

Ben Phiri, lawmaker from Thyolo Central who at one point was the right-hand man of the former president, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, surrendered to police at the National Police Headquarters in Area 30 after police seized returned to his home in Blantyre on Tuesday afternoon but did not find him as he was in Lilongwe.

According to sources close to Ben Phiri, the parliamentarian from Thyolo Central was informed of his arrest warrant by police over the phone.

Government spokesman Gospel Kazako said the arrests are not a political witch hunt but rather a criminal witch hunt.

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