By Durell Namasani
The case aimed at committing to the financial crimes court the matter involving former cabinet in the ministers in the DPP regime, Joseph Mwanamvekha, Nicholas Dausi and three others accused of plundering public resources, has been adjourned to Friday, July 7, 2023.
It has emerged that at the time the proceedings started, the law stipulated that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) could only prosecute with consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and that consent has not yet been obtained.
Defence lawyer Cassim Chidothi says he sees no basis of commit to a he Financial Crimes Court a case involving former Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamveka, former Homeland Security Minister Nicholas Dausi and three others.
Meanwhile, Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe has since given the ACB up to Friday this week to present a letter seeking consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions before the case gets committed to the Financial Crimes Court.
However, the ACB said they wrote a letter seeking consent from the DPP but did not get any response, nor the consent.
The case has since been adjourned for the ACB to present the letter they wrote to the DPP which means that if they do, the committal proceedings will proceed on Friday.
Mwanamvekha and Dausi are being accused in connection with a multi-billion kwacha procurement contract at Malawi Prison Services where they are suspected of purchasing items that included socks, underwear, steel plates, cups, cuffs, belts and whistles between February 2019 and June 2020 without following procedures.
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says investigations showed that the former finance minister abused his office to approve the payment without considering the urgency and importance of the said equipment.
