By Chisomo Phiri
The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe is today hearing oral submissions for Henry Mussa and Gideon Munthali, former Minister and Director of Information who we were convicted for stealing computers and a generator meant for the Ministry of Information worth K10.1 million.
Judge Patrick Chirwa sitting as Chief Resident Magistrate is the one hearing the submissions.
In its submission, the state argues that the two committed a serious offence despite the fact that they are first offenders.
It is alleged that on May 2, 2019, Munthali received 10 computers and three generators donated from MACRA.
He informed Ministry officials about this through a WhatsApp forum the same day.
Munthali took the items to the Ministry headquarters on May 3 where Deputy Director of Administration, Mr Nankhuni, advised him to keep the items due to concerns over security at the ministry.
Munthali then decided to keep the items in his vehicle.
According to Munthali, Mussa kept on asking about the items and the then minister was also pushing him to make sure that the items were not distributed.
He added that the former minister wanted him to deliver the items at his place.
Munthali said he delivered the nine computers and one generator to Mussa at his Area 11 house on June 19.
The other two generators were delivered to the ministry’s offices in Mzuzu and Lilongwe
He, however, argued that he did not conspire with Mussa to steal the donated items.
Meanwhile,the two were found guilty of conspiracy to commit a felony on October 25,2022.
