Yeremiah Chihana’s ‘politically motivated’ tax evasion case adjourned

The High Court in Blantyre on Thursday adjourned a judicial review of a case where public tax collector Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is accusing property valuer Yeremia Chihana of tax evasion to a date yet to be communicated.

“The case has been adjouned to another date to be set by the court,” said lawyer representing MRA, Chiwala Chipeta.

And Chihana’s lawyer, Lusungu Gondwe , said High Court judge John Chirwa adjourned the matter because of delayes to file case bundles.

“Some documents were filed late and the judge said he didn’t have enough time to go through them,” said Gondwe.

Chihana, a politician-cum -businessman, came in the limelight when he valued the estate of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika to be worth K61 billion.

In June last year, MRA in partnership with Malawi Police Service (MPS) arrested Chihana for alleged tax evasion of K1.3 billion.

The arrest came three months after MRA impounded Chihana’s computers and files at his YMW Property Investments Company offices in Lilongwe in what was seen as defeat of justice to destroy what he assessed on Mutharika’s estate which Mutharika’s family disputed as not true.

Chihana denied the tax evasion charges, saying his arrest was politically motivated and applied for judicial review.