BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Supreme Court of Appeal has formally confirmed business tycoon Thomson Mpinganjira’s case withdrawal and appeal removal.
This means the business tycoon is officially a free man from any criminal charges.
Mpinganjira appealed to the Supreme Court on September 10, 2021 conviction for offering advantages to public officers.
He was however subsequently released on bail in 2022 pending the determination of his appeal before the Supreme Court.
The withdrawal came after former President Lazarus Chakwera exercised his constitutional powers to grant Mpinganjira a presidential pardon during the country’s 61st Independence Day celebrations.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The High Court in Blantyre has set Tuesday next week as the day Judge Dorothy DeGabriele will deliver her sentence to convicted businessman Thomson Mpinganjira.
Mpinganjira, who is currently on remand at Chichiri Prison, was convicted on September 10, 2021 for attempting to bribe five Constitutional Court judges who were hearing the 2019 election case.
He was charged with six counts under the Corrupt Practices Act.
Mpinganjira is reported to have offered the judges a parcel containing about K100 million.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Contrary to what was communicated some time back during the trial of Thom Mpinganjira’s bribery case, on Friday, September 10, 2021 the High Court in Blantyre clarified that Vice President Saulos Chilima never got a donation from Mpinganjira but a loan which he paid.
Speaking as she delivered judgement on the bribery case, Judge Dorothy deGablielle clarified that in August 2018 and January 2020 Dr. Chilima received MK40 million from Mpinganjira through a bank employee and the money was paid back.
“The bank employee confirmed collecting back MK40 million from Dr. Chilima as loan payment. Dr. Chilima also got a loan of MK350 million from FDH bank,” said the Judge.
However, the Judge did not mention anything as to whether the MK98 million that President Chakwera received was paid back.
The Judge said Prince Kapondamgaga and Chris Chaima Banda as well as President Chakwera himself collected money from Mpinganjira as a donation.
“The accused said he met President Chakwera at Ufulu garden where he donated MK20 million in person and in cash,” said the Judge.
The Judge made these pronouncements as she gave background to the case where Mpinganjira is being accused of bribing judges.
The former FDH Bank Chief Executive Officer was found guilty in attempting to bribe constitutional judges in 2019 Presidential Election case to favour former Malawi leader Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Mpinganjira is currently at Chichiri prison in Blantyre waiting for sentence after his bail was revoked.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira will know his fate on Friday, September 10, 2021 when High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle is expected to deliver judgement in the case in which he is accused of attempting to bribe five Judges.
Following trial that started in 2020 and ended mid-2021, Mpinganjira will know whether the court has found him guilty or not.
Mpinganjira was arrested in January last year on allegations that he attempted to bribe Constitutional Court judges who were presiding over the elections case in 2019.
The business mogul allegedly offered money to Judges Ivy Kamanga, Redson Kapindu, Healy Potani, Michael Tembo and Dingiswayo Madise in order for the judges rule the 2019 elections case in favour of the then Malawi leader Peter Mutharika.
The former FDH Group CEO was charged with an attempt to induce Justices Tembo and Potani to exercise their function corruptly and accept MK100 million for their benefit and for the benefit of the other three judges.
Mpinganjira was also charged with attempting to induce the judges to abuse their office.
Hearing of the case started around October in 2020. The judges told the court that Mpinganjira contacted some of the judges during the elections case saying he wanted to deliver a parcel to them.
In his testimony, Mpinganjira revealed that he has over the years donated over MK1.4 billion to political parties in the country.
Thom Mpinganjira (in blue suit) arriving at the Court on Tuesday
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The case of business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira, who is accused of attempting to bribe a panel of five judges that heard the historical presidential election case last year, will proceed in camera following a request by the defense.
The defense asked the court on Tuesday to parade its witnesses without the public, media inclusive.
The Court accepted the request after a thorough discussion that took about an hour between the judge, Dorothy De Gabrielle, and lawyers for both state and defense.
Both state and defense refused to disclose nature of the witnesses and evidence, saying law allows that.
However, information reaching the Maravi Post indicates that the witness who testified in camera in Blantyre today was a niece to the accused.
It is reported that she was in court to enforce earlier testimony by Mpinganjira to the effect that he has ever made monetary donations to Malawi Congress Party president, Lazarus Chakwera, and his UTM counterpart, Saulos Chilima.
The line of argument is meant to convince judge De’ Gabriele that, while Mpinganjira stands accused of trying to bribe Constitutional Court judges to sway the course of justice in favour of President Peter Mutharika in the presidential election case, the business magnet has a history of making donations.
The next to testify shall be a Mr. Chivunde and also later Prince Kapondamgaga, who in earlier court hearings, was mentioned as having benefitted from donations from Mpinganjira.
Businessperson Mpinganjira revealed that he donated and loaned over K1.4 billion to politicians, including President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima.
Mpinganjira made the revelations weeks ago while testifying in the case.
According to Mpinganjira who owns the FDH Bank, he used to donate to the Chakwera-led Malawi Congress Party (MCP) using personal funds as banks are prohibited from donating to or financing political parties.
Chakwera would make a request for funds and then send Prince Kapondamgaga and Mr Chivunde to collect the money.
Chakwera would then send a message saying received to confirm that the money had been received.
Donations to Chakwera in 2019 were as follows: K5 Million 20th August; K6 Million on 11 July; K5 Million Kwacha on 18 July; and K10 Million Kwacha on 27 September.
In 2020, Mpinganjira gave Chakwera K10 million on 28 January, K25 million on 17 February and K20 million on 4 May.
In relation to Chilima, Mpinganjira said he donated K50 million on 31 August 2019; K9 million on 13 May 2019; K30 million on 3 Jan 2020; and K10 Million on 18 June 2020.
Mpinganjira also gave Chilima a loan of K350 million for purchase of motor vehicles.
He also told the court that the Democratic Progressive Party led by former president Peter Mutharika got over K950 million from him and that he also donated over K40 million to the People’s Party which is led by former President Joyce Banda.
The businessperson, however, admitted that there was no evidence that Chakwera and Chilima requested for the loans.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawian businessperson Thom Mpinganjira was on Thursday, April 15 found with a case to answer on charges related to attempts to offer bribes to High Court Judges.
Justice Dorothy DeGabrielle made the ruling in Blantyre.
DeGabrielle therefore adjourned the case to May 11, 2021.
However, the suspect Mpinganjira will remain on bail but the court has warned him that it will be revoked if he breaches the conditions of the bail.
Following the ruling, he has the right to enter defence and provide evidence or to remain silent.
His lawyer Patrice Nkhono told the court that he will discuss with Mpinganjira regarding the action that the suspect will take.
Mpinganjira is facing charges of offering and giving advantage to public officer, attempting to induce public officer to perform functions corruptly, attempting to induce public officer to abuse his public office, attempting to induce an office to perform function corruptly and attempting to induce public offer to abuse public office.
Mpinganjira is accused of attempting to bribe five judges of the Constitutional Court which was hearing the Presidential Elections case in 2019.
He allegedly offered MK100 million to the judges as he wanted them to rule the elections case in favour of the then president Peter Mutharika.
One of the Judges, Mike Tembo, in his testimony during trial, told the court that Mpinganjira claimed to have sent money to the judges through Mutharika’s lawyer Frank Mbeta but the money never reached the judges.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The seating High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle on Friday, October 30, 2020 restored bail to attempted bribery case accused business guru Thomson Mpinganjira.
The court has however gave a warning that if there will be any attempts from his side to delay the case, he will be sent back to prison.
During the proceedings today, the state paraded the first witness Judge Michael Tembo who furnished the court with printed WhatsApp text messages and two audio recordings of their conversations.
The judge has since adjourned the case to November 12, 2020 for continued trial.
Brown James Mpinganjira: named in judge shopping case
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman, Brown Mpinganjira, has been implicated in the judge shopping case in which business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira is accused of bribing a panel of five judges that heard the historical presidential election case.
Justice Mike Tembo, one of the judges who heard the election case, has told the court that through his interaction with Thomson Mpinganjira, there was a project hatched in the top hierarchy of DPP through some lawyers to bribe the Constitutional Court judges.
Tembo said the top banker Mpinganjira wanted to know whether the money, in excess of K100 million, was reaching the judges.
He told the court that, according to Mpinganjira, money was being sent through Justice Lovemore Chikopa.
He said the former Group Chief Executive officer for FDH Holdings told him that at one time Justice Healey Potani had dropped Justice Chikopa at his cousin, Brown Mpinganjira.
Tembo said according to Mpinganjira, three judges on the Con-Court panel received money from the DPP.
However, Tembo said he had no evidence that the said judges had indeed received the money.
According to Tembo, through his interaction with the Business tycoon, the money was getting to the judges through Brown Mpinganjira to Justice Chikopa.
The state paraded first witness Tembo, who gave text WhatsApp conversations and played one audio conversation between Mpinganjira and himself.
.Tembo is in court today to testify of three counts namely: offering advantage in form of unspecified amount of money to public officers in advantage of presidential election case respondent- Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and Arthur Peter Mutharika; attempting to induce public officers into corrupt practices; and attempting to induce a public officer to abuse office.
Tembo is recounting how Mpinganjira tried to meet him through text messages, which have been made available in court.
The proposed meetings included Sunnyside SDA church where the two are members.
“I decided to avoid the church and other public places just to avoid meeting the accused,” Tembo told the court.
High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle has adjourned the case to afternoon.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Lawyers for business tycoon Thomson Mpinganjira have withdrawn a case at the Supreme Court of Appeal, in which they were seeking a suspension of hearing the Mpinganjira’s bribery case from High court.
One of the Mpinganjira’s lawyers, Tamando Chokotho said his client wanted the case to be tried back at the Magistrate court, where it was committed from by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Supreme Court justice Edward Twea who was hearing the case has since directed the High court to commence hearing of the case forthwith.
Meanwhile, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB ) and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) are claiming costs incurred in the suspension application case.
Mpinganjira is accused of attempting to offer MK100 Million to five judges who presided over the historical presidential election case.
However, his case was committed from the Magistrate Court to the High Court for trial.
Mpinganjira’s lawyers wanted the matter to be moved to the Magistrate Court because the certificate of committal by the Director of Public Prosecution did not give any reason for the transfer.
The defense also wanted to be given a chance to appeal at the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal if Mpinganjira is not satisfied with the judgment by the Magistrate Court.
ACB Director Reyneck Matemba is on record to have accused Mpinganjira of trying to delay the case.
ACA arrested Mpinganjira in January this year after Chief Justice Andrew Nyireda tipped the graft busting body that someone wanted to bribe the five judges who heard the presidential election case as a Constitutional Court to rule in favour of the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Simeon Mdeza has granted bail to business tycoon , Thomson Mpinganjira, who was arrested on allegations that he planned to bribe judges hearing of the case.
Chief Resident Magistrate, Simeon Mdeza has granted bail to
business tycoon, Thomson Mpinganjira, who was arrested on allegations that he
planned to bribe judges hearing of the case.
Mpinganjira who was formally charged this morning on three
counts applied for a bail that was presented by Senior Counsel Patrice Nkhono.
His application was not challenged by the ACB and the court had the duty to
determine if it is in the interest of justice to release him on bail with or
without conditions.
The business tycoon who hails from Dzungu Village
Traditional Authority Bvumbwe in Thyolo has been granted the bail on conditions
that he pays K1 million cash bond and non-cash bond of K5 million and surrender
his travel documents to the courts.
He Has also been asked to appear before any ACB formation
once every fortnight on Mondays and produce two reliable sureties tied to a noncash
bond of K3 million and not to interfere with the ACB’s witnesses.
Mpinganjira is also expected to inform the ACB, in writing,
if he wants to travel outside the country.
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