ConCourt warns against intimidating witnesses, lawyers in Malawi poll case

The Constitutional Court hearing the landmark presidential election case in Lilongwe has warned party supporters against intimidating court witnesses and lawyers involved in the case.

Lead judge Healey Potani sounded the warning at the start of the hearing of the case on Friday following a complaint from Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera’s witness Daudi Suleman who told the judges in chambers on Thursday that some people were intimidating his family.

It is alleged some ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials were accusing Suleman’s family members of letting their son betray the Lhomwe tribe by testifying against President Peter Mutharika in the case.

Suleman comes from Phalombe.

“The law will deal with all the people involved in the malpractice,” said Potani.

Chakwera’s lead lawyer Modecai Msisha confirmed that the matter was discussed in the chamber and that the Attorney General (AG) Kalekeni Kaphale assured the other parties that government will guarantee protection of witnesses.

He said: “The witness has indeed reported that some unidentified people approached his village  and delivered some threatening messages. It was on account of him being a witness in court… That is what we discussed.”

Msisha said the AG pledged to use the State machinery to investigate the claim.

Meanwhile, Justice Potani also  said there were reports that some people were intimidating lawyers within the corridors of the court, saying this could not be condoned.

President Mutharika’s first witness Ben Phiri told the court on Friday that failure by officers to fully understand some terminologies resulted in the staff filling inappropriate boxes.

Phiri also acknowledged the use of tippex, duplicates and altered result sheets in the May 21 polls.