Malawi judges wanted K300m businessman tells court
Malawian businessman Thomson Mpinganjira told the court he supported different political parties financially, including the ruling Malawi Congress Party.
RUSTENBURG, May 12 (ANA) – Two judges on Malawi disputed presidential election solicited a bribe from businessman Thomson Mpinganjira, the High Court in Blantyre heard on Wednesday.
Malawi media reported that Mpinganjira told the court that judges Mike Tembo and Healy Potani, asked him for K300 million (about US$ 370,445).
News website Malawi24 reported that the businessperson also claimed, he got a message alleging that judge Dorothy DeGabrielle could deliver a favourable judgement if he paid money.
An irregularity he rested his application for DeGabrielle to recuse herself from hearing the case.
According to radio station Zodiak Broadcasting, DeGabrielle has ruled that she would not recuse herself from the case, saying she remains independent and no judge can influence her handling of the case.
She added that the application was brought to the court with ill intention to undermine credibility of the judiciary.
She ordered that the trial should proceed immediately.
Mpinganjira is accused of offering judges bribe to rule in favour of former president Peter Mutharika and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) who were respondents in the 2019 elections case.
Mutharika and MEC lost the case and the court nullified the 2019 presidential elections. The two also lost their appeal at the supreme court.
The court nullified the May 2019 election and ordered a re-run in which Lazarus Chakwera won with about 60 percent of the votes.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Mpinganjira in January 2020, after receiving a complaint on December 8 2019, that some people were attempting to bribe the judges of the Constitutional Court.
Opposition parties disputed the results of the May 27 2019 presidential election and challenge it court, citing wide spread irregularities.
In the 2019 election, Mutharika was declared the winner.
Testifying in court, he said his charity financially supports different political parties in Malawi including the ruling Malawi Congress Party and opposition Democratic Progressive Party, and also supports different initiatives including sports.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay