Court official drags pro-government activists Undule, Chonzi over Chilima bribe allegation

A senior official of courts has dragged two pro-government rights activists to the High Court for alleging that UTM president Dr Saulos Chilima met support judiciary staff to bribe them over the Constitutional Court ruling.

Undule Mwakasungula and Fryson Chodzi trading under what is called Joint Civil Society on Good Governance wrote the Chief Justice claiming that Chilima met with Judiciary Support Staff and made bribes intended to influence the Constitutional Court.

President of the Judiciary Support Staff Trade Union,  Andy Haliwa Tchuwa has taken the matter to court.

The matter will be heard before Judge Tembo.

In the case, Mwakasungura is the first respondent, Chodzi is the second respondent and the Joint Civil Society on Good Governance is the third respondent.

There was no immediate comment from Mwakasungura and Chodzi.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau recently arrested a Democratic Progressive Party financier and sympathizer Thom Mpinganjira on allegations that he attempted to bribe the Constitutional Court judges with K100 million to make a ruling in the election case in favour of president Peter Mutharika and the Malawi Electoral Commission.

The Constitutional Court however annulled the May 21, 2019 presidential elections and ordered a fresh poll after noting that last year’s presidential election was marred with anomalies and irregularities that were so systematic and widespread that the election result p grossly compromised.

The court is yet to set the date for the commencement of the case.