LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The High Court in the capital Lilongwe has set August 22, 2016 as the date for hearing of submissions of mitigation factors before it can pass jail sentence to the Mphwiyo shooting case convicts; Ralph Kasambara, Pika Manondo and MacDonald Kumwembe.
This means that the trio will wait a bit longer in their custodial sentence following the conviction the prosecution secured last Thursday.
High Court Judge Michael Mtambo found Kasambara guilty on charges of conspiracy to murder the former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo. His accomplices, businessman Manondo and former Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldier Kumwembe, were also convicted on an attempt to murder Mphwiyo.
Malawi Judiciary Spokesperson, Mlenga Mvula, told reporters on Tuesday that submission hearing of mitigating factors before passing sentences has been slated for August 22.
Mvula said that the judge had directed the concerned parties; defence and prosecution to exchange their submissions between August 16 and 22.
The Judiciary spokesperson clearly said that his office has not yet received an appeal application from former constitutional affairs minister Kasambara over last Thursday court judgment as he claimed that he would appeal against the conviction.
Under the Penal Code, the attempted murder offense attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment while conspiracy to commit murder carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.
Raphael Kasambara was arrogant and now he is Facing the Music. He refused to get a lawyer to assist his case now he will rot in JAIL