3rd MCP witness testifies 1.4m votes were affected: Concedes irregularities were mere red flags
The third witnesses for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera, Peter Lackson Chimangeni a data entry supervisor during the May 21 Tripartite Elections on Wednesday began testifying in court under cross-examination from Attorney General (AG) Kalekeni Kaphale, who is representing MEC in the presidential election petition case.
The witness admitted that he was located at the party’s parallel tally centre in Lilongwe and did not have access to polling stations or monitors at that level.
He identified five areas of alleged irregularities being use of duplicate forms to record results, use of non standard forms, and altered forms both using pen as well as correctional fluid Tippex.
Chimangeni, who has told the court that he prefers to be called Peter Lackson, was heavily cross examined on these alleged irregularities by Kaphale.
The witness conceded during cross-examination that what he had identified as irregularities were mere red flags and not confirmation that any candidate valid vote was compromised.
He was asked to explain why, having noted the alleged irregularities he failed to ask questions to his monitors who had signed the electoral forms, as to the validity of the figures on the forms.
Lackson answered that he felt it was not important to ask his monitors to confirm the figures.
He also failed to challenge the validity of any monitors signature on any form, content to contend that he thinks the signatures were forged.
Kaphale asked him: “Are you saying some monitors signatures were forged?”
Lackson said “Yes”.
Pressed if he has reported to Malawi Police Service, Lackson said no.
On why he did not report, Lackson told the court: “It was not necessary.”
The Attorney General further asked Lackson: “Did you speak to the monitors whose signatures were forged?”
He replied: “No, it was not necessary.”
Kaphale who has so far expressed dissatisfaction with the way the witness is answering question, further quizzed Lackson: “Do you know forging is a criminal offence? And this is a Constitutional Court.”
Lackson said: “No.”
Asked if he confirmed with the monitors that their signatures were forged, Lackson told the court that he did not and it was “not necessary.”
Pressed further to explain how he knew the signatures were forged, Lackson said:”I will display them here and the court will decide.”
Though he had testified that 1.4 million votes were affected by the identified irregularities, Lackson told the court that in his evidence in chief, he had not explained how the effect came about.
Though he had all the tools to validate the results, Lackson had opted to come to court with mere invalidated suspicions.
He also said the auditors at polling centre were merely doing nothing.
Kaphale asked the MCP witness, “Auditors were paid money to do nothing?”
Lackson said “yes according to my analysis.”
The cross examination of Lackson is expected to finish Thursday.
Chakwera, who is second petitioner in the case, is alongside UTM Party president Saulos Chi lima (first petitioner), challenging the re-election of President Peter Mutharika, alleging that the presidential results in May were marred by irregularities and fraud.
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Nsundwe forces
kaphale pissoff
Koma a Malawi leave for judges court will determine who is wright nkhani ndi ma signatures. Wa misala anaona nkhondo.
Za ziiii zenizeni..kungotaisana nthawi
“The duty of the court is to resolve the substantive issues between it and not to punish complainants for making mistakes in the preparation of their cases” Judge Redson Kapindu. This judgement in this very same case is very interesting…
Yes, irregularities cannot be ruled out in any election but what is considered most is the gravity of the irregularities. If tippex was used in one or three polling stations that irregularity would have been accepted but in this election tippex was used in more than 50 polling stations. This alone is a serious irregularity and is not acceptable by any standard. In this election we have more than 10 most serious irregularities and their intention was to affect the final results. The evidence has also been presented about the manipulation of figures in favour APM.
Mboni iyiyi ndi yanzeru kwambiri. Chiyambileni mulandu palibe wapeleka umboni kawawa ngati lackson.
Umboni wake uti kkkkkkk koma mbuli zophunzira inu. Inu munthu akuvomera kuti zomwe amanenazo zinali zongoganiziridwa chifukwa no irregularities have compromised the valid votes
Lackson ndi mboni mbuli. Olo judge atakhala okondera bwanji zitha kukvuta kugamula kuti kukhale re-run. Apa tiyeni tivomere kuti mulandu talephera kupereka umboni ogwirika.
What evidence did this MCP witness bring to court? This guy has failed to present anything in court as evidence. Is this what Apostle Bishop Reverend Dr. Lazarus Chakwera called overwhelming evidence? This is another heresay and hearsay can never be evidence.
But the auditors produced report showing irregularities. They cannot do anything further and its not duty of auditors but management, Jane Ansah. e.g. If the auditor found that the clients money is stolen, their duty is to report to you not to take the culprit to court. Know audit Kaphale otherwise you ask irrelevant question and get irrelevant answer.
Koma this Lackson guy ndiye ndi nkhuku yeni yeni. How can you say the monitors signatures were forged when you did not confirm it with the monitors themselves. That is why I have always said this Lazaro Chakwerang’ombe and Arafati just want to waist everybody’s time. Seriously, they know they lost the elections. Why is it that none of their monitors has been brought to court to dispute figures on the result sheets they signed for. And for you Timoteo Mtembo, are you following the court case?
Indeed time wasters
Iwe ndiye DPP die-hard..