Mpinganjira freed on bail midnight by court in judges attempt bribery over Malawi poll case

January 23, 2020 Zawadi Chilunga - Nyasa Times 57 Comments

A magistrate court in Zomba has granted bail to a prominent Malawi banker Thom Mpinganjira, who has been accused of a suspected attempt to bribe a panel of five judges presiding over the country’s presidential election petition case

Mpinganjira: Could not spend night in custody

Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Mpinganjira on Wednesday after the bureau received a complaint on December 8 2019 from Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda  alleging that some people were attempting to bribe the five judges of the Constitutional Court.

Mpinganjira spent the afternoon at the ACB offices in Blantyre but was being released from the police station at midnight after the court bail.

The court also quashed a warrant of arrest by ACB on Mpinganjira as irregular.

Hundreds of people gathered at ACB offices and chanted “Thief! Thief!” as he was being whisked away by tight security to a police station.

But at police station, scores of his sympathisers gathered to hold a vigil claiming his arrest was work of opposition smear campaign.

Mpinganjira, an accountant, is the former founding chief executive of the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE). He left to open private First Discount House (FDH) which later evolved into a bank and has a nationwide branch network.

He is also a board chairman of state-run power utility Escom.

Many people in Malawi have said he is connected to the ruling party, but he has always denied links.

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57 replies on “Mpinganjira freed on bail midnight by court in judges attempt bribery over Malawi poll case”

  1. Shameful act by Zomba magistrate judge. These are the people who makes sure that the poor should remain poor . How can such person be used to bribe judges.He is already rich. Atleast we know who wanted to bribe the judges. La 40 likwana basi.God is great.So he wanted to help his party. We are watching,we want to see the end of the case.

  2. Shameful act by the Zomba magistrate judge. Adyetsedwa makobidi amenewo.komano mbiri yapita kwamtundu wa amalawi kut Mr Thomas Mpinganjira is a bad citizen, though he has money to buy judges. Lachi 40 likwanabe just believe. MCP Lachie 40 linawakwanira,anatuluka m’boma.Ndipo UDF Lachi 40 linawakwaniratso ndipo UDF yinatuluka. PP nayonso la 40 linakwana anatuluka. For DPP Lachi 40 liwakwananso it’s just a matter of time. I trust God Almighty. Pangafupike pangatalike adzatuluka m’boma.They will not believe it,but it will happen. DPP continue doing what you know best. There is God in heaven.

  3. Is it not according to legal procuder that the application for quashing the warrant should be made before the same judge who issued the warrant or to a higher court? Why was it done ex-party , without ACB appearance? I also have learned that the Zomba Magistrate ruling is in the name of another Mpingajira not the guy who was arrest.

  6. Bwanji ma prisoners onse amasulidwe and we should start a fresh chifukwa it seems justice siili bwino pa Malawi. Ma prisoners akatulutsidwa awuzidwe kuti if they repeat the same mistakes awotchedwa. Koma akuzunzidwa ndi ti milandu tochepa pamene anamandwa akugona ku den zawo. Not fair

  7. Once the warrant is re-instated by the High Court and is charged, DO NOT GRANT HIM BAIL as it has been demonstrated that he is a flight risk!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Bank ya za uchifwamba ya FDH …Lusungu Gondwe trained by Ralf Kasambala kumanda kukuyang.aneni mwanva…Kasambala wawonatu ana ophunzitsa wekha aja akula matako….a Mulli nanu mumakataniko nawe uwona pompano..judge wogwira ntchito mbanda kucha iwe wadya bwanji tigayile

  10. If Malawi is to improve, please get rid of DPP.

    Dubiously sold the Bank to this man and all the DPP transactions takes place there. Safe heaven for them. I would not be surprised if money laundering does not take place.

    This guy is a crook.

    Matemba said the alleged individual is not affiliated to any party. Who doesn’t know that this is another cadet.

    The judicial system in Malawi is pathetic. It favours the rich.

    There are thousands of prisoners today who are still waiting to be tried. Because they are poor , nobody cares. Those who are destroying Malawi. Big thieves, cannot sleep in a cell.

    Our only hope is the 5. Please do Malawi Justice. These people have to face the law quickly.

  11. What is wrong with Zomba? Some of you will remember that during the reign something like this also happened, and it was Zomba again. Remember? About Jugde Manyungwa? Zomba is my home but things like these are making me feel less proud of the place.

  12. Mid night no working hours at the court kodi? then ineso I can go at 11:56 am for my bail on breaking into FDH bank next demos kkKKKKKKK

  13. According to ACB director he was not granted bail rather the arrest warrant was quashed . the two are different hence the need to report correctly.

  14. Now I know It’s true lawyers shop around for judges.
    Why on earth should bail be granted in Zomba,at midnight for that matter, when this would have been done in BT where the convict is based? We are normally informed the name of the magistrate but this one is in secret, why?

  15. Was he kept in police custody 😂😂 who are police in this country? Which tribe is DPP and Peter Mutharika coming from? Which tribe is mwapasa the inspector general of police coming from? Which tribe is this mpinganjira the suspect bribery coming from. If the answer is lhomwes the rest is 🤐🤐🤔

  18. HRDC SHOULD ORGANISE DEMOS AGAINST THIS CORRUPT MAGISTRATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WILL DEFINITELY ATTEND.

  19. Alhomwe ndi mtundu okuba kuyambila kalekale! Olo atsamunda ananena zimenezi. Mtunduwu sumachita manyazi ndi kuba olo pang’ono. Kuyambila mwana amaikila kumbuyo umbava wa makolo ake. Onetsetsani mmene ikukhalila nkhaniyi, mufunilanji umboni wina? Apapa ndi nkhondo yayambayi between Malawi and alhomwe, tiyeni tisiye kudzinamiza apa!

  21. This is nothing but abuse of court system. A magistrate can not quash what his fellow magistrate put in that warrant of arrest unless it was high court. Again a court can not quash without hearing the other party. Why the order was granted in Zomba when the suspect was to be brought before a court in Blantyre or Lilongwe where warrant of arrest was issued? I guess there are so many cadets in Zomba working as magistrates.

  23. Am speechless, this is clear evidence of how rotten to the core our judicial system is….why travel all the way to Zomba at midnight to not only just get bail but also to quash the warrant of arrest? The Chief Justice should discipline this unnamed magistrate ASAP. This is what people have been calling as judge / magistrate shopping.
    There seem to be one rule for the rich and for those in the opposition and another rule for the rich and for those from the ruling elite. It is this kind of selective justice that drives ordinary citizens in this country mad.

    Who is this unnamed magistrate who gave this bail…….strangely enough this was their first case in 2020 and yet there are lots of cases and bail applications gathering dust in Zomba magistrate court…….how much was the inducement for this magistrate to wake up in their pyjamas to go court in the middle of night?……it looks like this was already planned even before the arrest was made.

    1. There’s never been justice and there never will in this country. From Machipisa Munthali being held for no reason. to JZU walking scott free after the Mwanza case. to Bakili walking around until today. To Joyce Banda to Chaponda. My brother no matter who comes it will never change. Take heart, enjoy yourself in the UK. No stress. African politicians are like minibus drivers. They are all the same.

  24. Some judges in this Country are full of bullshit and if it is spirit of loving money one day you will put yourselves in fire and l don’t know why we call idiots like these a judges.

  25. Chiweta ukuoneka kuti ubongo wako unazaza tippex zoti kuli Mulengi kunja kuno sudziwa dikila uona mphamvu yake pompano satana ndi mwana bapusa ndi ndalama zakubazo ukudya nawozo kuno ndi kunja kunayanja lichero.

  27. kkkkkkkkk I saw it coming ,I knew it there is no way a big man like Mpinganjira can spend a night in cell , this man has so many sympathisers hundreds of thousands if not millions .Let us wait for the hearing , I tell you they will say he not guilty

  28. U can run but you cant hide, time is up for you people. Even the zomba judge i hope he did the bail within the accepted legal framework and not even bribed bcoz you would be next going to jail. Everyone dealing with this case needs to trade carefully, millions of eyes are watching. Yes innocent until proven guilty.

    1. Nanunso inu, Mtambo chikumukhudza ndi chani pamenepa? I thought the case at stake is about the electoral bribery case issue which was reported by the Chief Justice? Since when did the Chief Justice started reporting to Mtambo? Kodi ndalama zakubazi zikumatembenuza ubongo wa anthu enanu kukhala madzi etiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii? Its high time ingwazi you stopped demonstrating ignorance and stupidity in public!! This battle is not over until it will be over? Mind you, its the Chief Justice against his Magistrate now………………! Who wrote the warrant of arrest, was it Mtambo? I thought it was the courts? Awansoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ndi za mulakho zawoziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii eeeeeeeeeeshiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

      1. inuso Central ndinu Achitsiru , uyu akuti Mtambo akutathauza kuti achitepo kathu, monga momwe amapangila thawi zonse , kudzuzula mukhalindwe wanu woputsawo, Inu m Cadet ndi Azigogo any pamodzi ndi mutundu wanu wonukhawu,

  32. Isn’t this the same magistrate who let guilty Chaponda go Scot free. I see history repeating itself

  34. Trying to fool the judges who lodged complaint to chief justice ? You will be punished by these judges if that is your trick.
    They will indeed rule in favour of opposition in order to punish u bcoz now they know under Mulhakos government they won’t be safe.

    They will do what ever means to frustrate u the Lhomwes

    2. do you think they are not a part of this. Achimwene ndikukumbutseni. In this world money is a universal language. it doesn’t see tribe, race religion etc. zotchula ma tribes ndi umphawi. At the top Peter and Good all are buddies. Chakwera and Mia are buddies. Money my friend is something else.

      1. mr test I know you are relaying on mOney and you’ve put God aside….. but let me remind you that On top of everything there’s GOD……amene amaTsitsa anthu Otumbwa KUmadalira Chuma kumagula Chilungamo ngati inuuuu…..kunali anzanu kunja kuno ask yourself ali kuti……..let me tell you…..it won’t be lOng ….you will remember this……MULUNGU ALI PA NTCHITO…….KUKOLOPA ANTHU ONSE A CHINYENGO, AKUBA, AKUPHA…ndi a Nzeru ngati Mr Test……mark my WOZ sir!!

      2. That’s the Fact, i fully support you. Chakwera and Mia, all akufuna ndalama basi, sangatinamize enafe ayi. Mbuzi zina zimaona ngati chakwera can change things in Malawi, complete nothing, bolaso Pitala yomweyi.

  35. Surely, we are under siege by these Mulhako people. Someone suspected stealing chicken can spend the whole week in Police custody and Mulhakos trying to bribe constitution judges can’t even spend a single night in Police cell .

    So magistrate can out class the constitution judges who lodged complaint with Chief justice?
    The goodness of this Case is that the Witnesses are Judges themselves. So let’s wait and see as things unfold.

    2. correction but not to the fundamentals of your story. Thom is not a Lhomwe but a Ngoni. His father lived in Thyolo running a shop.

      1. You are out of order Tan! Please stop the myopia Tan! Are you serious till now you’re not able to appreciate that while Thom is not a Lhomwe, he is being used by the Lhomwes? These Lhomwes started this through transfer of all Government Accounts from Standard Bank to FDH Bank! To-date Thom is benefiting so much from that arrangement and no wonder he accepted to take the money he wanted to use as a bride to the judges! Do you think it was his personal money? Don’t pretend to have forgotten that on one fateful day Samsom Alufandiiiikaaaa courageously told the nation that his organisation too had an account with FDH and their account was deliberately opened to run away from IFMIS…………………………………………………!!

  37. If he attempted to bribe the judges, who is a magistrate? By the way are there no magistrates in Blantyre? Too rich to spend a night in police cell. I guess no one should.

        2. Malawians, do not pin your hopes on election results. You will be disappointed. Things will not change until DPP is ousted.The judges are corrupt bribes or no bribes!

          1. This man Mpinganjira is surrounded by ass leakers and it is a known fact that people like ass leakers whether they are in power or not. Poor Malawi

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