DPP claims Simbi bribed judges to nullify Malawi presidential elections: Wants ACB probe

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  has petitioned Anti Corruption Bueau (ACB) to investigate  the five judges of the  High Court who annulled the results of last year’s presidential election, alleging that South Africa-based Malawian construction industry mogul Ashan Simbi Phiri could have bribed them to cancel  President Peter Mutharika’s re-election.

DPP make counter claims of judges bribery
DPP’s Restoration of Justice march
DPP demonstrations held in Blantyre where the party expressed its dissatisfaction with the ruling for repeat exercise in presidential polls

President Mutharika of DPP was narrowly re-elected in the May 2019 election after securing 38% of the vote  when tally sheets arrived at a central vote-counting station having been altered with Tipp-Ex, a correction fluid . Runner-up Lazarus Chakwera secured 35% of the vote while former vice president Saulos Chilima came in third with 20%.

The two opposition candidates challenged the result, alleging that the tally sheets were tampered with and that some polling stations used correction fluid to alter the results.

Chaired by Justice Healey Potani, the judges; Dingiswayo Madise, Ivy Kamanga, Mike Tembo and Redson Kapindu,  overturned the presidential result and ordered a fresh election  to be held by 2 July this year under a 50-plus-one majority electoral system.

But DPP on Monday organised and sponsored demonstration in Blantyre City – held peacefully –   presented a 10-point petition delivered to Blantyre City Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alfred Chanza demanding an investigation of the five judges on alleged corruption with sponsored banners naming Simbi as well as  claiming one of the judges is a relation to the first petitioner Chilima.

Businessman  Simbi Phiri, who is at the centre of a controversy for being awarded a multimillion kwacha water project, has never hidden that  he has been supporting DPP and major opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

Phiri’s company, Khato Holdings Limited, was awarded a $500 million (about K400 billion) project to construct a pipeline supplying water from Lake Malawi to Lilongwe, which has come under intense scrutiny.

But now DPP claims Simbi may have bribed the judges.

Simbi has not commented on the allegations,saying he is consulting his lawyers to sue DPP, leaders of the demonstrations, the bearer of the placard for defamation.

The judges  already to have reported attempted bribery from associates of DPP.

ACB boss Reyneck Matemba on January 20 2020 announced that the bureau had received a letter from Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda containing allegations of attempted bribery of the Constitution Court.

On January 22, ACB  arrested Thomson Mpinganjira, owner of FDH Bank, who is seen as close to the DPP , and he has since been charged with three counts in relation to the alleged judge bribery attempt and is out on bail.

DPP claim the Chief Justice was also presented with evidence that the opposition MCP and UTM tried to bribe the court using Simbi.

According to the petition, DPP Secretary General, Grezelder Jeffrey, the party is asking for “authorities to safeguard and restore the democratic justice which is under threat.”

In the petition, DPP seeks legal redress on 10 concerns including high level of  hypocrisy  by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) by nullifying the results, no evidence by ConCourt on use of tippex and tampering of tally sheets affecting the results,

No evidence by ConCourt on unauthorized persons found with ballot paper, lies by United Transformation Party (UTM) on arrest of persons and monitors and failure to transport ballot papers with security personnel as well as allegation of forged signatures on results sheets, according to the petition.

Jeffrey was flanked by former cabinet minister Henry Mussa, veteran politican Brown Mpinganjira whose name features highly in the attempted bribery of the judges,  presidential aide Francis Mphepo  when she presented the petition.

Speaking to party supporters, Mussa said they have “evidence which can be tendered to authorities that some judges of the ConCourt “received bribes and were involved in corrupt dealings in order to bend the judgment in favour of the petitioners.”

Mussa said: “ We demand a probe on the alleged family relations between some judges and the petitioners. As DPP, we can verifiably identify family links between Saulos Chilima and Justice Dingiswayo Madise. We therefore demand for the panel of judges to be investigated to remove any perception that judges are either sympathizers of opposition politics or worked and succumbed to pressure from violent demonstrators.”

Speaking after receiving the petition from DPP, Chanza promised to deliver the petition to the Chief Justice.

 

 

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Ndata Boy
4 years ago

Problem is, zomwe iwe umachita… umaona ngati amzakonso amapanga zomwezo. nde dpp they are good at bribing officials in almost all gvt departments and now that things are against them, they think someone used their style of getting around things. noooo DPP is wrong, this time around dpp is fighting against God himself and time will tell if they will win….but what I know is God is changing things in Malawi and change is inevitable – swallow it cadet

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
4 years ago

Dont talk about Mpinganjira whom the Judges caught and he comes to work at FDH at night. Komatu akudwala akuluwa

KENT
KENT
4 years ago

Ku supreme court ko please ma judge athu takudalilani, khomani zenizeni DPP iferetu, MANY Malawian’s don’t want this evil party, hit the last nail on Dpp’s coffin, lest we forget.

Munthu
Munthu
4 years ago
Reply to  KENT

amen

Mtete
4 years ago

Hallucinations and madness in DPP. I am not surprised with this party whose leader is in hibernation. APM and MEC have appealed against the court ruling in the election case and the matter is yet to be heard. You mean to tell me this professor of law does not know that you don’t demonstrate about issues which are in Court and can allow his cadets to make fools of him and his DPP? On the other hand I am not surprised considering the party’s leadership is full of thugs and failures who failed to make it to parliament. You know… Read more »

Allahiminah
Allahiminah
4 years ago
Reply to  Mtete

Peter is happy when his cadets insult Judges and he is on top of Malawi so that he can do anything he wants. His leaning pillar now is the MDF as they shield him. Give MDF their money you hid and you think Malawians do not know. If it was in DRC akanamumwaza ma chaka kale kale.

MTUMBUKA WENIWENI
MTUMBUKA WENIWENI
4 years ago

Ma Demo enieni adzakhalapo BOMA likadzangoseka PREMIER BET because eni ma demo achinyamatawo akumakhala busy ku premier bet.

Zuze
Zuze
4 years ago

Zitsiru izi

Kapoli
Kapoli
4 years ago

The ref (Jane Ansah) says it was a clear goal. VAR and some assistant referees (Mary Nkosi, Ben Phiri etc) say that APM scored the winning goal by hand. Which which is what (Chenicheni nchiti)?😦

Sahara
Sahara
4 years ago

Simbi is smarter than Tom Mpinganjira. DPP yazingwa. Just because Mpinganjira was caught with his pants down bribing judges does not mean Simbi would be that stupid

Makambala
Makambala
4 years ago

Suppose if the evidence they have is real, will you call them headless chickens, what if it will be discovered that Dingiswayo Madise is related to Chilima, what if it has been proven that the judges gave their verdict out of fear n not based on factual evidence? What if it will be transpired that Simbi had indeed bribed the judges?

When you answer these questions you will realize that its better to wait n see before you start castigating them.

KENT
KENT
4 years ago
Reply to  Makambala

@Makambala dream on buddy, you are allowed to.

kaka
kaka
4 years ago
Reply to  Makambala

infact they are all tumbukassss. palicbe chabwinooo apa

Nasingwe
Nasingwe
4 years ago

nafwa kale ndipashyeni madzi ndingakomoke.
sipaja dzana anali bwezi lelo mukutaya.koma acita thope madzi ku dpp

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