Kasambara’s appeal case set  December 9

 Almost two years after convicted former minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ralph Kasambara was granted bail pending appeal, Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has set December 9  for the hearing of the appeal.

Judiciary spokesperson Agnes Patemba has sent a notice of hearing to all parties in the case.

“Take notice that the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal will on Wednesday the 9th day of December, 202o at 9 o’clock in the forennon sit in Lilongwe  to hear the appeal herein,” reads the noice dated  September 30 2020.

Kasambara was granted bail on March 14 2018 by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Dunstain Mwaungulu after spending a year and seven months in prison.

He was convicted to 13 years for conspiracy to murder former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo.

According Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Pilirani Masanjala, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which is prosecuting the case, already made its submissions.

In his judgement in 2018, Mwaungulu observed that there seemed to be an apparent contradiction on finding Kasambara not guilty of the attempted murder charge, but finding him guilty of the conspiracy to murder.

Kasambara, who served as minister in the Joyce Banda administration, was jailed by High Court judge Michael Mtambo for conspiracy to murder in a crime linked to a multi-billion kwacha corruption ring christened as Cashgate.

Gunshot survivor Mphwiyo is also answering to money laundering charges in relation to Cashgate.