Former Minister Henry Mussa and former Director of Information Gideon Munthali jailed for 9 years 

March 3, 2023 Ezra Mtimuni - Nyasa Times Be the first to comment
The newly-appointed High Court Judge, Patrick Chirwa, sitting as Chief Resident Magistrate in Lilongwe, has sentenced veteran politician and former cabinet minister Henry Mussa to a total of nine years imprisonment with hard labour for conspiracy to steal and for receiving stolen property.
For conspiracy to steal, Mussa who is the former ruling party DPP senior official was slapped with a three year jail term and he received six years of incarceration for receiving stolen property.

In the same case, Justice Chirwa also handed journalist and former Director of Information Gideon Munthali the same sentence of nine years imprisonment also for conspiracy to commit a felony for theft by a public servant.

Former Minister Mussa and former information Director Gideon Munthari
Munthali got three years of jail time for conspiracy to commit felony and additional six years imprisonment for stealing government property as a public servant.
Both their sentences will run concurrently, starting from the date of conviction meaning that the two will serve a maximum of six years.
This follows their conviction in October last year in relation to the case of 10 computers and a genset, which disappeared at the Ministry of Information.
The two were convicted in October last year in connection with the disappearance of 10 computers and a genset donated to the Ministry of Information by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).
Jailed Mussa just before sentencing outside the court

Mussa together with Munthali were arrested in 2020 on allegations of stealing a computer and a generator in 2019 which were meant for District Information Offices across the country.

The court previously heard that Munthali received the items as Director of Information and delivered only nine computers to the said offices and kept one at his house while one generator was delivered to Mussa at his Area 11 residence on 19 June, 2019.

In their submissions, lawyers for the two, Kalekeni Kaphale and Powell Nkutabasa, prayed to the court to consider giving the convicts a non-custodial sentence, considering that they served the nation as public servants; refunded the money for the gadgets; and have been in custody for four months.

Lawyer for Mussa also mentioned his advanced age and ill-health as reasons for consideration for leniency and pleaded with court to tamper justice for mercy.

However, the State argued that the offences were pre-meditated, and that there was proper planning and execution of the offence, as evidenced by WhatsApp messages.

Mussa served as minister in the Bingu wa Mutharika and Peter Mutharika administrations. He also served as a Member of Parliament for Chiradzulu District in southern Malawi for over 10 years.

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