Court rebuffs State’s application on Chaponda’s corruption case: Judge transfer trial to Zomba Magistrate
High Court judge Dingiswayo Madise has dismissed Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) application to transfer to the High Court a case in which former minister of Agriculture, Water Development and Irrigation George Chaponda is accused of corruption.
Judge Madise ruled that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mary Kachale acted irregularly against Section 289 by committing the matter to the High Court, saying it was unreasonable and lacked merit..
He said the DPP was supposed to issue the certificate to commit the matter to the High Cour soon after charging the accused.
Judge Madise ruled that the matter be transferred from the Chief Resident Magistrate in Blantyre to Chief Resident Magistrate in Zomba.
The State had wanted the case to be heard by the High Court and not Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Simeon Mdeza.
While the defence had applied for judicial review of the case,
Judge Madise has since ordered that the case start within 21 days.
In an interview with Nyasa Times following the ruling, Dr. Steven Kayuni from the Attorney General’s office representing DPP said he was happy with the transfer but said they have will sit down with ACB to examine the same.
Lawyer Tamando Chokhotho representing Chapondaalso expressed satisfaction with the the court’s determination..
Chaponda were arrested by ACB on suspicion of corruption relating to procurement of government maize from Zambia.
He is answering three charges out of the four which include giving false information to ACB, influencing a public officer to misuse his position and possession of foreign currency while Tayub is answering to the charge of persuading a public officer to misuse his position. They both pleaded not guilty.
Chaponda was fired from Cabinet on February 22 2017 following public pressure after the ACB instituted investigations on allegations of his involvement in the K26 billion maize import deal from Zambia, popularly known as maizegate.
Chaponda is currently vice president of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Southern Region.
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Inde munthuyi ndiwakuba koma kumaikako zithunzi zabwino pliz, lol
‘Dingiswayo Madise has dismissed Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) application to transfer to the High Court’- Next is ‘Chaponda Not guilty’…
Simeon Mdeza is a smart man.Anadziwa kuti izi palibe tsogolo lililonse. Judge wachita bwino kupititsa ku zomba chifukwa akanagamula iyeyo bwenzi mutamunamizira. zipite olo ku mzuzu komwe atumbuka osafunika mdziko mumadalira to push your agenda.Chaponda akukwapulani
Lessons learnt in the Chaponda case: ACB (under KONDOWE) idaluma dzambiri ndipo pano yukanika kutafuna. Don’t act on issues because people are saying so. You are deemed professional and you are suppose to act the same. I understand there was pressure but had you looked at it very carefully it was coming from the usual people who are paid by dirty politicians to speak about issues on social media.Chaponda will walk free and people will
Welcome to Zomba. And the maximum prison is not all that far from the high court. Expedite this case please throw all criminals in jail for a long time. We don’t want 2 or 3 year jail sentences. Justice must not only be done, but it must BE SEEN to be done.
The judge is right.People want to put personal interests in this case.Procedures need to be followed.Big win for Chaponda.
Chaponda ndi boma!
Maizegate hoax is an example of how dirty and useless our politics is. Educated and explained people like Dr. George Chaponda deserve better.
Achaponda ayamba kuondatu. Jacket sikukhwepha uko? Cashgate ilibe ushasha. Just don’t do it!
Kwatsara Ben Malunga Phiri.
By the way could some investivagive journalist check his schooling record while in the uk. He recently told Cruise5 he had a diploma or something of the sort from a uk university and also that he worked for a printing company and some bank.
Asati atinamizepo apa as if tonsefe tinabwadwa 1978 like himself.
People underestimate Chaponda the lawyer himself.Remember he is of the only 3 Yale University graduates in Malawi.He is winning the case bigly
ACB acted because the wanted to prove a point which they will not in the end.In fact they will disappoint a lot of people who just want to see Chaponda going to jail without him being fairly treated.This is a country of laws.Laws protect its people that include Dr. George Chaponda.
Judge wanzeru uyu! Kumalawi kumafunika anthu odziwa ngati awa. High Court fotsek!!!!
Chaponda is just a victim of circumstances in the ruling party.
I actually this is a big win for the state. that magistrate in BT was already palm oiled. When mbeta recused himself from representing chaponda and Tau and tayub, he had already passed on the booty to the magistrate. Who does not know Mbeta ortayub or this magistrate? So lets see what the magistrate in Zomba will do.
Pamapeto azonsenzi Chaponda will be the one laughing at the whole country.The problem is people were fooled by Media paid by Chaponda’s enemies who thought Mutharika was grooming him for the presidency.For a second, look at this maizegate issue with a sober mind.ACB had completely nothing on him if it wasn’t for the cash which was found in his house.What if he explains the source of the money? What else will ACB say?
I can foresee Chaponda will ponda all his adversaries. Ena amangomuopa ati kuona kuti he can succeed Peter. Forgetting that in DPP muli a katakwe mbambande pa ndale si munthu mmodzi ayi.