Mpinganjira unable to appear before court, case ruling set for March 22
Financial business mogul Thom Mpinganjira will on March 22 know whether he has a case to answer or not in the judge bribery case trial.
This is after The High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle on Tuesday morning adjourned the case to March 22 2021.
The case was coming today for a ruling on whether he has a case to answer on allegations of attempting to bribe five High Court judges who constituted the team that sat as Constitutional Court in the May 21 2019 presidential election nullification petition case, but Mpinganjira was not in court.
Court officials said Mpinganjira is not feeling well.
Lawyers said on March 22, 2021, the court will hear if Mpinganjira will be fit to be in court.
One of Mpinganjira’s lawyers Fostino Maele said the business mogul was ill to come to court on Tuesday.
Mpinganjira, who resigned as FDH Holdings Limited chairperson, was arrested in January 2020 and is among others, answering charges under the Corruption Practice Act such as offering an advantage to a public officer, attempting to induce public officers to exercise functions of their offices corruptly and purportedly attempting to influence public officers by offering K100 million to Constitutional Court judges.
Mpinganjira pleaded not guilty to all counts.
During oral submissions, Mpinganjira’s lawyer Patrice Nkhono said while Mpinganjira purportedly offered a parcel to the five-judge panel of the High Court sitting as Constitutional Court hearing the presidential election nullification petition, the State failed to show any element of corruption in the offer.
“Justice Healey Potani is on record saying he never discussed the contents of the parcel with the defendant and insinuated that for all he knew it could have been face masks or bottled water,” said Nkhono.
Nkhono was also surprised with the State ‘strange’ request to court that if it finds Mpinganjira has no case to answer, then the judge should not acquit him but allow the State to amend the charges.
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Mark my words. Dr Mpinganjira will be freed. Zitokotani chocho afisi inu. This guy has already by God and therefore will not face a prison sentence. Ziyankhulani zopusa zanuzo mmalo mowapemphelera achina Uladi Mussa, Rev. Chris Mzomera Ngwira. Zinyozani chomcho. Zanu zikupezani kuti inunso mudzanyozedwe. Khalani chete nonse kuti mudikire pa 22.
akakhala mayeso timati ‘examination fever’.
apapa tidziti ‘guilty fever?’
They usually fall sick at the eleventh hour.
mutayeni waphunzira
I caught the state failed to show any element of corruption. Kaya zitha bwanji nde izinso zoti ngati samupeza ndi mulanduzi amusakire mulandu wina sizikundinvekera bwino if i say it might be witch hunting umva ndichira khaya tiziona
Nkhono made a big mistake. There was no covid in Malawi that time and nobody was masking.
The guy is sick. VIH. And others.
Is there proof from a legit doctor’s to show that he is sick? If anyone falls sick on their court hearing date the courts can postpone the hearing? like this case? Just wondering anyway once found guilty give him a sentence that would deter the would be offenders in the future election cases. We don’t want a repeat of selfish people trying to divert the will of the people of Malawi.
It happens. Have you followed the Bakili Muluzi case? almost 12 years now. Reason, he pretends to fall sick when the date of court appearing is near.
But here it’s date of judgement not hearing, done is pretending so that they consider him,it’s very clear that the guy will be jailed
ma lawyer kumuwuza client wawo kut namizila kudwala…pa 22 po kaya azakhala ali ku kwinzi zapelekeni chigamulo, azikayankhila pa bed lakuchipatala pomwepo….nthawi tilibe
Amupusisa this guy, the good thing is it’s judgement day, he can get the ruling even in absentia, we have no time for criminals ife
If the hon supreme court justice potani thinks parcel could have been face mask/water. Then just set Thom free, kupatsa muthu madzi ndi chikhalidwe chathu amalawi😂
The statement is by Mr Nkhono not Justice Potani
In my reading, I have found that statement was from Healy Potani.
Chifukwa munalephera school
Chizungu chakupetanitu apa 😂😂😂