Court dismisses PP’s Mhone application on poll case costs

The High Court in Mzuzu has dismissed an application by a losing candidate in Nkhata Bay central parliamentary race for an order of stay against payment of elections case for Lands minister Symon Vuwa Kaunda.

Mhone, vice president of People’s Party (PP) for the north,  applied for an injunction against payment of the cost but the court has thrown out the application with costs as well.

This means Mhone will pay all costs for the case for Kaunda and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

Mhone said in his application that despite costs being solely the discretion of the court, they were not granted in the interest of justice.

“That I verily believe that if the said order requiring the defendant to pay costs is not suspended, the petitioner’s appeal against the judgment made on 16th September, 2019 would not be in the interest of justice,” said Mhone.

He asked the court to suspend payment of costs for the case until the appeal case is heard.