By Cathy Maulidi:
Former Finance minister Joseph Mwanamvekha has been discharged from a misprocurement-related case he was answering alongside another former Cabinet minister Nicholas Dausi and others.
In the case, Mwanamvekha was answering charges of abuse of office in connection with a Malawi Prison Service K18 billion procurement contract.
Mwanamvekha has been cleared on grounds of insufficient evidence of wrong doing in the matter.
On Friday, High Court Judge Violet Chipao allowed Mwanamvekha to leave the courtroom as hearing of the case—now involving the others—continued.
Speaking outside the courtroom, his lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale said the State (Anti-Corruption Bureau- ACB) has, however, stated that it may need Mwanamvekha as State witness if that need arises.
“We do not have any problem with him being called as a witness since that’s a civic duty,” Kaphale said.
He also said his client had withdrawn all preliminary objections and their application to have the matter referred to the High Court sitting as a Constitutional Court.
“So, all we are waiting for now is a discharge certificate from the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Kaphale said.
The case was about unlawful procurement of items that included socks, underwear, steel plates, cups, cuffs, belts and whistles between February 2019 and June 2020.
The items were allegedly purchased at exorbitant prices.
The uniforms and equipment were procured from One Guard FZE of the United Arab Emirates.
The other accused persons are Dausi, former Ministry of Homeland Security principal secretary Samuel Madula, chief director in the same ministry Kennedy Nkhoma and senior deputy director Patricia Liabuba.
This is coming months after Mwanamvekha was also discharged from another case in which he and two others were accused of falsifying information to the International Monetary Fund between 2018 and 2019.
ACB lawyer Peter Simbani refused to grant the media an interview, referring journalists to ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala.
However, Ndala did not pick up our calls.
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