Court to rule November 20 on Dutch national accused of sodomy in Malawi

A Blantyre court will deliver its verdict on November 20 in the case of a Dutch national accused of sodomising boys at a Malawian children’s foundation, after the trial wrapped up this week.

Wim Akster, who ran programmes

including bursary administration at Timotheos Foundation, faces charges of having carnal knowledge against the order of nature and non-consensual kissing, relating to alleged incidents between 2019 and 2020.

Chief Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha concluded hearing the case in Blantyre yesterday after the defence called its 15th and final witness. Akster was found to have a case to answer back in April this year.

His final defence witness told the court he had been a beneficiary of the foundation’s bursary scheme between 2012 and 2015. He said that in 2020 he received a call from a Timotheos Foundation employee informing him that Akster had been arrested on sodomy allegations, and was asked to come forward and testify if Akster had touched him indecently.

Akster’s lawyer, Michael Goba Chipeta, has been granted 30 days to prepare final submissions, a timeframe the State also agreed was reasonable.

State lawyer Victor Jere said he was pleased the case had reached its conclusion, with the ruling now set for next month.