PP’s Maulidi faces jail for contempt of court

Ruling People’s Party (PP) acting Secretary General Paul Maulidi may be committed to prison or may have his assets seized for deliberately disobeying a Mzuzu high Court order which restrained him from recognizing the victor of Mchengautuwa West Ward because of alleged electoral irregularities

One of the losing aspirants, Goodwin John Mvula, alleges that the victor Dennis Moyo dubiously and unlawfully triumphed hence he sought the Court’s intervention for a judicial review.

Moyo scooped 524 votes against Mvula’s 504.

Under Miscellaneous civil application number 5 of 2014 between Mvula as applicant and Moyo as first respondent and Maulidi as second respondent, Judge Dr Redson Kapindu also restrained Moyo from standing or holding out as PP candidate.

Maulidi:  Contempt of court
Maulidi: Contempt of court

“Moyo or his servants, agents or whosoever are restrained from portraying him, campaigning for him as PP candidate until the hearing and determination of the main matter or until a further order of the court” reads part of the order dated January 8, 2014, a copy Nyasa Times sourced.

Judge Dr Redson Kapindu warned Maulidi, Moyo and PP that any person who disobeyed the order shall be held liable for contempt of court and may be committed to prison or may have their assets seized.

Nyasa Times investigations have found out that Maulidi signed Moyo’s certificate, which is the party’s authority for a candidate to stand on its ticket on February 9, 2013.

PP has paid nominations fees for all its candidates in both the parliamentary and local government levels except those holding ministerial posts.

Moyo received and signed for his certificate on February 11, 2013 in Mzuzu at the party’s northern region provisional headquarters.

Moyo and other PP candidates will present their nomination forms at the Mzuzu City Council offices on Wednesday.

Provisional Secretary Mary Mphasi confirmed giving Moyo his certificate saying the party is satisfied that he won.

“Of course we know there is any injunction but our position is that Moyo triumphed on the ground,” Mphasi said.

While his boss Maulidi justified his endorsement of Moyo claiming the injunction was vacated. But it is still in force.

Through an SMS on Monday during PP’s official unveiling of its manifesto and presentation of nomination papers, Mvula warned Vice President Khumbo Kachali, Maulidi, Treasurer General Harry Mkandawire, National Director of Elections a Mrs Chanthunya, Chris Daza, Northern Region Provincial Chair Reverend Christopher Mzomera Ngwira that the injunction was still intact.

A source told Nyasa Times on Tuesday that PP declared Moyo the winner because the complaints from Mvula were deemed invalid.

 

“If he claims that he won why did he not stand as an Independent so that we can be vindicated. Why wait till now?” the source queried.

He said a team from PP officials will hold closed meetings with Mvula to persuade him to vacate the injunction for the sake of unity and love for the party.

In his affidavit in support for the application for the injunction, Mvula through Mzuzu based Lawyer George Kadzipatike said there were many irregularities at Sonda Polling Centre.

For instance, Sonda got 1000 ballot papers yet 239 could not be accounted for, Mvula said.

“Non party members including kids were allowed to vote contrary to the rules of the conduct of primary elections,” he said.

He said there was also no any form of identification and that the list of party members was not there making the elections at the centre ‘free for all’.

Mvula said he is the genuine winner and does not accept the results from Sonda Polling centre.

“I spent a lot of money campaigning to stand on PP ticket because of the love PP and where I feel justice was not done, I have a right to voice out,” he said.

Mvula said he was forced to seek the Court’s intervention because the Party’s Secretariat had given him a cold shoulder.

“I wrote a letter… hoping that the Party will assist me but to no avail. I wanted to resolve the matter amicably but I failed,” he said.

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