Kasambara wants Malawi President Banda in court
Former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara in connection to the failed assassination attempt of a corruption-busting treasury official Paul Mphwiyo in September told Lilongwe Magistrate Court that he would want President Joyce Banda to testify in court as witness in the matter.
Kasambara made the plea when he appeared before the court on Monday.
He was formally charged with attempted murder charge and Chief Resident Magistrate Ruth Chinangwa committed the matter to the High Court.
But Kasambara submitted to court that he would want in the witness dock President Banda, a State House official Cecilia Kumpukwe (a sister to President Banda), Minister of Information Brown Mpinganjira and ruling Peoples Party spokesman Hophmally Makande.
“You Lordship, I have objections to the jurisidiction of this court that’s why I have chosen to be mute. So let’s continue to the next stage please,” said Kasambara —who was wearing a dark suit and orange tie and a People’s Party badge.
Kasambara later told the media outside the court : “there is no case, this case will not get anywhere.”
He even joked with the journalists who were taking his pictures that they should make as many copies of the pictures as possible or should just tag them to his Facebook account.
Kasambara was dropped in October from cabinet by President Banda in what sources say was to pave way for investigations following the attempted murder of budget director Mphwiyo.
Police are suspecting Kasambara “master minded” the shooting of Mphwiyo who escaped death with the gun shots.
Mphwiyo, 37, was shot in the face outside his house in Area 43 on the night of September 13th 2013 and was airlifted to South Africa where he is still receiving treatment.
Last month a team of police investigators were sent to South Africa to question Mphwiyo and to hear his side of the shooting story.
Three other suspects McDonald Kumwembwe, Robert Kadzuwa and Dauka Manondo were already arrested.
President Joyce Banda has said the shooting of the budget director was linked to his efforts to fight corruption.--(Additional reporting by Chancy Namazunda, Nyasa Times)
