SKC urges Malawians to have trust in judiciary despite bribery claims

UTM Party president Saulos Chilima says his trust in the judiciary has not diminished following revelations of Constitutional Court judges bribery allegation saga.

“It is sad we have those allegations. But the court judges will base their ruling on fact and evidence,” Chilima said at a news conference on Thursday in Lilongwe.

He urged the responsible authorities to prosecute the perpetrators of the bribery allegation.

Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Thom Mpinganjira, who is group chief executive officer of FDH Financial Holdings Limited and board chairperson of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom),  as a suspect and formally charged him before he was released on bail.

ACB director general Reyneck Matemba disclosed this week that there will be more arrests in the saga as they continue with their investigations.

Matemba said one of the masterminds of the plot to bribe the judges IS “working for one of the arms of government”.

During the news conference,  Chilima also called on the Malawi Police Service to be professional and stop thugs from inciting violence when the ConCourt results will be announced on Monday.

Chilima said whatever the outcome of the court, people should accept and the winners celebrate in peace and those would have lost should accept.

He then called for peace as the country awaits the outcome of the election case.

The five-judge panel comprising Healey Potani, Ivy Kamanga, Dingiswayo Madise, Redson Kapindu and Mike Tembo will deliver their determination on the matter on Monday February 3 2020.

In the case, two of the presidential candidates in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections—UTM Party’s Saulos Chilima (the first petitioner) and Malawi Congress Party candidate Lazarus Chakwera (the second petitioner)—want the court to nullify presidential election results over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system.

Incumbent President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party, who was declared winner of the elections, is the first respondent with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as the second respondent.