UTM witness Kawaka put across 50 exhibits: ‘Concedes no evidence of rigging’

The Constitutional court on Wednesday continued with the cross examination and re-examination of a Bright Kawaka, UTM Party national deputy director of elections, a fourth witness for immediate past vice-president Saulos Chilima the first petitioner in the historic elections petition case.

George Mtchuka Mwale, a member of Chilima’s legal team re-examined Kawaka

In his evidence, Kawaka, who is the highest ranking party official to appear in this case after Chilima, put across over 50 exhibits being polling stream log books that he said, show various irregularities.

He picked issues such as that names of candidates were written in ink and not printed as was expected; names and code numbers of polling stations for the log books he picked were written in ink.

When cross examined on his testimony and for each and every one of the polling streams, Kawaka, a trained mechanical engineer, told the court that monitors had signed for the stream results sheets and that the Presidential vote count for each candidate was properly captured on the Polling Station tally sheet that was transmitted to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

This observation pervaded all the stream results that he exhibited.

Kawaka further conceded he had not brought to court, through his testimony,  any evidence of any rigging by anyone and could not show how any of the candidates had benefitted or been disadvantaged by his observed anomalies.

During the friendly re-examination by one of the lawyers representing Chilima, George Mwale,

the witness said he was part of a team of monitors from different political parties that accompanied MEC officials and flew to Dubai to oversee printing of tally sheets, ballot papers and other polling stationery.

He said all electoral materials that were printed at Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC in Dubai were “customised”.

Kawaka said the electoral material was packed according to polling stations, constituencies and districts.

Lawyer Mwale asked Kawaka, who said they monitored printing of ballot papers to ensure that no counterfeit stationery was introduced into elections for possible rigging, on who made authorised changes in the design of the electoral materials in Dubai.

Kawaka said “we had a meeting of all stakeholders?”

But Judge Ivy Kamanga, who forms part of the five-member panel hearing the case, told Kawaka to be brief and answer the question about “who” authorised the change of design.

Said Kawaka: “We authorised as all the stakeholders in that meeting.  We had MEC secretariat, we also had the commissioners, and we had the general manager of the printing company; its marketing manager, DPP, MCP and us UTM.”

During the re-examination, there were some objections raised by the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale and lawyer Frank Mbeta, representing first respondent, President Peter Mutharika, with the court overruling some questions considered to have come from issues that did not come out during cross-examination or existed on the sworn statements.

The case continues on Thursday.

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Joloza
5 years ago

😂😂😂 No wonder UTM has withdrawn 34 people from witnessing. They are failing to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the elections were rigged. There is no evidence here. Another hearsay. The so called witness has conceded that he did not bring to court any evidence of rigging the elections in favour of a particular candidate. My question is this. If he has no evidence why is he in court witnessing? UTM kumvetsa chisoni kwake. Court imafunatu umboni ogwirika simagamula chifukwa ikuopa Kuti UTM kapena MCP ikhumudwa kapena iwotcha dziko. Ndiye pamenepa rerun ichokera Pati kkkkkk. Mmmm upresident wavuta uwu.

THE APOSTLE
5 years ago

CHE’BWANA NKOLOKOSA …IF DPP IS PAYING YOU TO PEDDLE LIES HERE NDE WAUPONDA

NGATI UKUFUNA KUONA ZAKUDA UNENE …GALU IWE KWAMBIRI

UKUMALEMBA ZINTHU ZOPANDA MUTU ….DPP PROPAGANDA ACHITSIRU INU ..UTOLA NKHANI WANU OOFOIRA NAWO. THATS WHY YOU ARE A POOR JOURNALIST

NDI BAKHA YEMWE ULIBE

Joloza
5 years ago
Reply to  THE APOSTLE

🤣🤣🤣Kodi apostle upositoli wanuwu anakupatsani ndani kutukwana kumeneko? Mukukhala Ngati ndinu mpositoli wa Dyabulosi bwanji? Khalidwe limeneli mu ufumu wa Mulungu mulibe Koma ufumu winawo.

zofufutila
zofufutila
5 years ago

Kawaga wapeleka umboni wake bwino bwino. Iye anapita nawo ku dubai komwe anakawonerera mwambo wonse opulinta zipangizo zonse za mavoti ndipo wafotokoza bwino lomwe kuti zipangizo zonse zomwe zinapulintidwa ku dubai zinali ndi mayina a malo onse oponyera mavoti kuyambila boma komanso madela ndipo zinali ndi zizindikilo za chitetezo kupangila kuti wina asazasokoneze pobweretsapo za chilendo. Koma kuti pachisakho sizinali choncho panapezeka zina zosiyana ndi zomwe anakapangitsa ku dubai. Choncho umboni wa Kawaga ndiwofuna kutsimikizila kuti pa zisakho pogwilitsadwa zipangizo zina zosavomerezeka ndipo ndizomwe wapanga

mkandawir
mkandawir
5 years ago

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Dr silungwe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry utm will pay this money by all cost

KALIATI HUMPHREY
5 years ago

NO EVIDENCE OF RIGGING ?? DAUSI NDI VIOLA AMABISALA ZICHANI NGATI MATUMBA AMBATATA MULONA YA PICK UP ? A MALAWI KUZOLOWELA KUBISA NTCHIMO BWANJI ?

Jana
Jana
5 years ago

Chilima and UTM humiliated again due to lack of evidence of rigging in the presidential poll. Am LOVING this! So, why was Chilima protesting with HRDC when his own officials flew to Dubai with MEC and agree on polling materials. UTM’s Director of Elections did not see any rigging in the presidential poll and so could not bring any such evidence to the court. Shame on Chilima, Chakwera, Mtambo and Trapence.

Kaitano
Kaitano
5 years ago
Reply to  Jana

The election was not free and fair, I think you are missing something here, these petitioners did not say the election was rigged, but the winner has won election which has irregularities! Such as use of Tipex and the body did not attend to some complaints lodged by the other parties, use of fake sheets and so on! From today follow this case the way I have explain OK Rraaa?

Harry
Harry
5 years ago
Reply to  Kaitano

Fraudulent has a criminal or deception element

MASO ENA
MASO ENA
5 years ago
Reply to  Jana

MBUZI, THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR HERE, HIS PART WAS TO PROVE THAT THE BALLOT PAPERS HE SAW IN DUBAI WERE NOT NOT THE ONES USED DURING POLLING. AL AGHURAIR BALLOTS HAD NAMES, POLLING STATIS ETC PRINTED ON THEM, THE ONES AT POLLING STATIOS WERE WRITTEN IN INK!! IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE GUYS.

95% OF NYASATIMES REPORTS/WRITTEN ARE IGNORANT OF WHATS THEY REPORT/WRITE ABOUT. BAKILI UNITED!!

Masozi
Masozi
5 years ago

Hehehe hahaha I can laugh at utm witnesses all day

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