BLANTYRE-(MaravPost)-The High court in Lilongwe through judge Annabel Mtwlimanja on Wednesday October 12,2022 adjourned to December 12, 2022 hearing of a case in which former Minister of Transport and Public Works, Charles Mchacha is being accused of illegally purchasing government land in Kanjedza Forest Reserve in Blantyre.
Defence lawyer Chancy Gondwe said the case adjournment is to have enough time to go through the documents presented by the state.
On the other hand, former Natural Resources Minister, Binton Kumtsaira, who is the fourth state witness in the case, denied granting Mchacha consent to acquire the land.
Mchacha’s arrest followed a complaint ACB received on February 12, 2020, alleging that the Department of Lands leased Plot Number LW 1366 (Kanjedza Forest) belonging to the Department of Forestry to Charles Mchacha without following proper procedures.
ACB instituted investigations into the complaint and established that Mchacha induced public officers to perform their functions corruptly in relation to the grant of the lease.
He was subsequently charged with the offence of inducing a public officer to perform functions corruptly contrary to Section 25A (2) of the Corrupt Practices Act.
