Not guilty! Court acquits Ministry of Lands official
Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate Court has acquitted Christopher Linderie an architect at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Lilongwe who was charged with abuse of office.
Linderie was accused by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of using his office to improperly awarding a contract to a company dubiously.
ACB said: “On 3rd February, 2010, the Anti-Corruption Bureau received a complaint alleging that Mr. Christopher Lindeire … connived with the proprietor of Tikhalenawo Building contractors to do electrical works as well when the electrical contract was awarded to Pexy Electrical Contractors.”
The bureau said after instituting investigations on the complaint, the ACB confirmed that Lindeire awarded the contract and arrested him.
Linderie denied the charge.
In the ruling delivered by Magistrate Banda, prosecution failed to prove its case and the court acquitted the official.
“The evidence has throughout been corroborated within all the state witnesses to say Lindeire was just a supervisor and it was the Director who issue instructions. He was a witness of truth and he was not shaken at all,” not the Magistrate in the ruling.
The Magistrate said having examined all the available evidence, the prosecution “has not made its case against the suspect.”
The court said Linderie “has no case to answer before the court of law.”
