Muluzi off to South Africa for medical check-up: Trip will not affect case, says lawyer

Former President Bakili Muluzi has left the country for South Africa for his routine medical checkup.

One of Muluzi’s lawyers Jai Banda says the trip will not affect proceedings of the ongoing case in the High Court.

Muluzi, who ruled the southern African country between 1994 and 2004,  and his co-accused, his former personal assistant Lyness Violet Whisky, stand accused of diverting at least US$ 13 million of what the State had claimed was donor money meant for various government development projects to his personal accounts.

He denies the charges, and vehemently alleged they were pressed on him for political persecution by his successor Bingu wa Mutharika.

Court documents seen by Nyasa Times shows there is no evidence of donor aid money going into Muluzi account or siphoning of public funds.

Director for the state corruption-busting body,  Lucas Kondowe said despite lead prosecutor Matemba has opted out of the case on “personal grounds”, the bureau will pursue further the matter.

He said  they will put whatever material they have before court  to decide, if it is not suffici ent enough they will acquit him and it’s sufficient enough they will convict him.

‘‘The bureau will map the way forward after reviewing the case with the legal team,’’ Kondowe said, as quoted in the press.

However, Judge Mclean Kamwambe, will hear the State on how they want to proceed on May 12 before ruling on whether to discharge the case as applied by defence team led by Tamando Chokotho.

Chokhotho asked the court to discharge the Muluzi arguing the State had no prosecutor and  that in criminal proceedings, there is a requirement that matters must have specific dates and that they must be heard within those specific dates.