Judge rules ACB at liberty to rearrest Mpinganjira: Admonishes lawyer for abuse of court in midnight bail

High Court Judge Dorothy NyaKaunda Kamanga has reinstates Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) warrant of arrest for business mogul Thom Mpinganjira for his alleged role in the alleged attempt to bribe High Court of Malawi judges set to deliver judgement in the presidential election nullification petition case.

The judge ruled that the move for Mpinganjira’s lawyer Lusungu Gondwe to cancel the warrant did not comply with the law.

Mpinganjira, who is group chief executive officer of FDH Financial Holdings Limited and board chairperson of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), was arrested on January 22 2020 following a formal complaint from Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda on November 28 2019 that two of the five judges hearing the case reported bribery attempts.

The High Court was reviewing Zomba Magistrate’s Court decision to release Mpinganjira at midnight last week following his arrest.

The ACB is now at liberty to execute the warrant of arrest which the High Court ruled was quashed by Zomba Magistrate irregularly as there was no certificate of urgency.

The court has also admonished lawyer Lusungu Gondwe for the manner in which he execute the matter and asked the registrar of the High Court to file a disciplinary action against Gondwe within 7 days

Judge Kamanga has also issued an order that Mpinganjira should not to hire Gondwe and Ritz Attorneys, saying they cannot represent him in criminal matter.

The High Court ruling also indicated that Principal Resident Magistrate Ben Chitsakamile had no jurisdiction to quash warrant of arrest issued by Lilongwe Magistrate Court and that he failed to keep records, he made a determination before he was moved.

There was no hearing at all.

The High Court has since  ordered Registrar to  refer lawyer Gondwe within 7 days to Judicial Service Commission for disciplinary action.

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Mwe'ene
Mwe'ene
4 years ago

Hey Folks: Perhaps one way of looking at Mpinganjira’s saga is that by tasting Bangwe (jail), he has now earned his “tattoos” for contesting the DPP top position, and eventually win the Presidency in 2023.
And that is the view of some of his supporters.
They also insist that Lhomwe or not, Mpinganjira is from the “belt”, acts like a mLhomwe and is immersed in the culture. Indeed.

Revolutionary
4 years ago

Get him behind bars please….we Malawi tax-payers will compensate him later, as long as Mtambo’s ego is massaged

KALIYOTO
KALIYOTO
4 years ago

GOOD DIRECTION FROM JUDGE NYAKAUNDA KAMANGA ON DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST LAWYER LUSUNGU GONDWE.INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS IN MALAWI MUST ALSO MOVE WITH TIME TO TAKE DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST THOM MPINGANJIRA.

Don Dada
Don Dada
4 years ago

Nkhani ya obvious ngati iyi kuchita kuchedwa nayo. Actually, Mpinganjira wanted some time to work on his statement together with his lawyers and the other crooks to be named to give to the police. So this case has been killed by Mpinganjira at the very beginning

Digoma
4 years ago

CAUTION In the case of adultery,there are three people involved.1 The man caught 2 The Woman 3 The one who caught them. In the case of mpinganjra there are also three people 1 Mpinganjra 2 The one who reported to the Nyirenda 3 The judge who was being bribed In all fairness,We need to know the remaining two. Warming Lomwe people may look foolish or stupid but they are not. If they say enough is enough,they really mean it. Ask any Lomwe person the meaning of the word “MUHOME” you will not play with a Lomwe. If this is politically… Read more »

Test
Test
4 years ago
Reply to  Digoma

but Mpinganjira is not a lomwe. He is a Ngoni.

Aabwino
Aabwino
4 years ago
Reply to  Digoma

I do not see any connection with Lomwe Tribe here. This name means nothing to us. We are Malawians stop this nonsense of being tribalistic over straight forward issues. After all the Mpinganjiras are Chewas who happen to be in that area. Check your history books about the migration of Chewas from Nsinja.

Mum
Mum
4 years ago
Reply to  Digoma

You don’t know what you are saying

Mr. Maliseche alephera kudyetsa ziphuphu ma judge
Mr. Maliseche alephera kudyetsa ziphuphu ma judge
4 years ago

Bambo Maliseche akuti chani pa nkhani imeneyi?

BENTBY
4 years ago

you can die from someones else miseries. you might feel your are helping out a drowning man without knowing that you are just precipitating your own death. hope lusungu gondwe will learn this law at a cost…

Oh! Lord Jehovah our God in heaven through your son Jesus help us Malawians, save us from the hands of the wickedness. AMEN!

Digging Deeper
Digging Deeper
4 years ago

My fellow Malawians let’s not count our chickens before the eggs are hatched. We have to wait vigilantly and purposefully for judgement against MEC and APM. then we must expect the police to carry out arrests of everyone who was involved in rigging our elections – be they returning officers or Malawi’s bi national diplomat posted abroad. The guilty must suffer the heavy hand of law felt. A new era for Malawi will dawn thereafter and not before.

Ambuye Zibwerani
Ambuye Zibwerani
4 years ago

So Ritz is the one that was representing Mr Mpinganjira. the same Ritz that is representing UTM. wonders shall never cease in Malawi.

nkhwedzule
nkhwedzule
4 years ago

Komano ziphuphuzo amafuna zikomere ndani iye ali mbali iti? Pepanitu

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