Katengeza jailed 5 years for K105mil cashgate case
May 31,
2016 Mphatso Nkhoma -Nyasa Times
Lilongwe High Court has Tuesday sentenced cashgate convict Angella Katengeza to five years imprisonment over the role in the K105.9 million (about $157 000) laundered from the government coffers.
Relatives shield shamed Katengeza
Katengeza in glasses off to prison to start jail term
Katengeza was charged alongside former assistant director of tourism, Leonard Kalonga, for conspiring to use the former's Faith Construction Company to defraud government.
High Court judge Fiona Mwale found Katengeza guilty of theft and money laundering in the fraud scam christened as cashgate, which was the biggest financial scandal in Malawi's history and helped push former president Joyce Banda out of power in 2014 elections.
Kalonga is also waiting for his sentence.
"The convict will serve a total of five years in prison,” Judge Mwale said.
Defence lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa who has asked the court to consider handing his client a non-custodial sentence, said he will discuss with the convict on whether to appeal or not.
State prosecutor and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) deputy director general Reyneck Matemba welcomed the custodial sentence.
Matemba said theft and money laundering are among serious offences (felony) in the country and deserve custodial sentences in all circumstances.
The scandal, which originated in 2005, prompted foreign donors -- who provide around 40 percent of Malawi's budget -- to pull the plug on aid worth around $150 million.
An audit ordered by Banda found that $30 million had been looted by officials in less than six months in 2013.
Dozens of civil servants, business people and politicians have been implicated in the scam.
Angela Katengeza cried in court after being sentenced to five years in jail.
The Lilongwe High Court sentenced the convict, Angela Katengeza, to five years imprisonment for her role in stealing public funds amounting to K105 million in the scam which is commonly known as cashgate.
Angela Katengeza asked to be killed.
But after she was sentenced by Lilongwe High Court Judge Justice Fiona Mwale, Katengeza cried and told the court she wished she were dead.
"Just kill me, I don't want to be alive anymore. Just finish me!,” cried Katengeza
Katengeza and former director of tourism Leonard Kalonga were charged with conspiring to use Katengeza's construction company to siphon public funds.
Katengeza was found guilty of fraud and money laundering and she has now been jailed while Kalonga is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to similar charges.
The massive embezzlement of public funds was exposed in 2013 during former President Joyce Banda's regime.