Malawi Govt to drop Chilumpha, Matumula’s treason case
Charges of treason against Dr Cassim Chilumpha who is now minister of Energy and Mining will be discontinued, the Director of Public Prosecution Bruno Kalemba has hinted.
Kalemba was quoted on a local radio saying that discussion were in “top gear” on marking the way forward with the case which has stalled.
Chilumpha was arrested in 2006 when he was serving as vice-president to late President Bingu wa Mutharika for allegedly attempting to kill his boss.
He was being accused alongside businessperson, Yusuf Matumula who is also Mangochi South MP.
The case has dragged due to a number of factors, including several preliminary applications and a judicial review.
The country’s top prosecutor said “the nation will be informed accordingly when discussions are through.”
Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ralph Kasambara his on record saying the case will be reviewed for “public interest.”
He said the Ministry of Justice chambers will consider “how much has been spent” to prosecute the case and “how has it been dragged so long.”
Kasambara, nonetheless, said the case will be irrelevant as the new President Joyce Banda would not be interested with the matter which was highly regarded as political vendetta by late Mutharika.
“To the extent that it has pleased Her Excellency the President to appoint Hon Chilumpha into cabinet that tells a lot. She does not believe this matter to proceed further,” said Kasambara.
He stressed “the logic will be to discontinue” the case.
Kasambara however said he will wait to be guided by the Director of Public Prosecution.
He said the new administration would not be interested to waste public resources on politically motivated case, saying “Malawians wants to see service delivery.”
Government hired barrister Anthony Barry (QC) from Britain who is leading a prosecution team comprising seasoned lawyers Patrice Nkhono and Pacharo Kayira.
Key State witness in the case are 45-year-old Thomas Elias Ndlovu and Graham Minaar an intelligence expert were paid money from government to implicate Chilumpha.
Ndlovu, who runs a security firm in South Africa, is on record testifying at the High Court that he was given R800, 000 for him and his family to relocate from his normal Johannesburg base in South Africa as part of government’s witness protection procedure.
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