Joyce Banda denies any involvement in "Cashgate" scandal

Former Malawi President Joyce Banda has denied any involvement in the corruption scandal which forced her into self-imposed exile and postponed the announcement of a possible return to politics, a day after her return to the country .

The first woman to lead Malawi, Banda, 68, returned to the country on Saturday after almost four years in exile.

She left Malawi in 2014 after losing the presidential election when she was implicated in the so-called “Cashgate” corruption scandal.

“I am the one who made the arrests and I am the one who conducted the forensic audit and the report of the forensic audit is a public document online and the Anti Corrupt Bureau director has said I was not involved”, Former Malawi President, Joyce Banda said.

The scandal erupted in 2013 when an international audit revealed that $30 million had been siphoned off the country’s coffers to dozens of senior officials, businessmen and political leaders.

Many of Malawi’s foreign partners then suspended aid, pushing the small southern African nation into crisis.

“I have a certificate from Interpol after nine months of search that my name is not there. So I don’t know what I can say to you. I don’t know what else to say”, Banda said.

Early this year, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said it had no solid evidence against her, partly clearing her of wrongdoing.

It is unclear what the political future of Banda is with Malawi’s next election scheduled for 2019.