Former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, who returned to the country last Saturday after a four-year absence, insists on her innocence. Mrs. Banda has reiterated that she does not have anything to do with Cashgate, the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill, exposed under her watch in 2013 and challenged law enforcers to arrest her.
Addressing a rally for her People’s Party (PP) in her home area of Domasi in Zomba last Sunday, the lady made it clear that she played no role in the graft allegation.
Mrs. Banda said that when she was alerted that money was being stolen in government under her watch, she publicly announced she would crack down on all employees tampering with the treasury.
She explained that with the help of the British government, she instituted a forensic audit, which led to the arrest of many people, including top public officials, who were prosecuted and convicted in connection with Cashgate.
The former President said her name was not mentioned anywhere in the report that she took part in the plunder of government money. This was confirmed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, ACB, which recently announced that after thorough investigation, its officials had not found any evidence linking Mrs. Banda to Cashgate.
Mrs. Banda said all talk about her arrest had been mere political ploy to scare her away so that she should not return to Malawi to contribute to the political, social and economic development of her country. She said she has an Interpol certificate, which clears her of any wrongdoing.
