The Maravi Post

BLANTYRE—The trial of the K1.7 billion graft case involving former president Bakili Muluzi will resume on May 13, this year, the Blantyre High Court has said.

The case went to the High Court Monday for mention and presiding Judge, Justice Maclean Kamwembe, said trial will resume in May as the former president would have returned from South Africa.

Muluzi is expected to travel to the rainbow country for specialist treatment next month and will return home on April 27, two weeks before the resumption of the trial.

Muluzi was represented by lawyer Jai Banda while David Nyamilandu represented the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). They initially went to court to get a new date for further hearing and trial of the case.

“Dr Muluzi will return home on April 27, as such the Court shall resume trial of the case on May 13. The trial shall run for a period of three weeks,” said Kamwembe.

In July last year, Muluzi’s trial failed to take place because Director of Public Prosecutions told the court that government wants to reconstitute the prosecution team. It was also adjourned again on October 18, 2012 upon learning that Muluzi was in South Africa where he had gone to seek specialist medical attention.

“The Bureau is in the process of drawing up and taking concrete steps to seriously deal with the problem of delay. The Bureau has placed high priority on reducing backlog and delay,” she added.

ACB arrested Muluzi in 2009 for allegedly diverting K1.7 billion into his personal bank accounts. The money is believed to have come from the country’s donors when Muluzi was in power between 1994 and 2004.

Muluzi denies the charges.

© The Maravi Post

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