Supreme Court rebuffs FDH Bank owner, Thom Mpinganjira
“I have not been able to see any such good reason to grant a stay.”
It never pours, but it rains cats and dogs for the country’s business tycoon currently answering charges of attempting to bribe five judges who were presiding over the landmark 2020 presidential elections case.
Thom Mpinganjira lost all his battles in both the High Court as well as in the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has thrown out business magnet, Thom Mpinganjira’s application to terminate criminal proceedings in his alleged judge bribery case in the High Court of Malawi.
Through his lawyers, Mpinganjira had challenged High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle’s refusal to recuse herself from the case over alleged impropriety.
When the High Court reconvened later in the afternoon to hear his defence, Mpinganjira suffered a second blow after his final witness failed to show up in court. This was the second of his three witnesses to stay away.
In a sworn statement filed by his lawyer Patrice Nkhono in the Supreme Court, Mpinganjira alleged that between March 8 and May 5, 2021, judge DeGabrielle and High Court Judge president Sylvester Kalembera, through unnamed individuals, offered to secure his acquittal or a suspended sentence in the case.
He claimed that the offer was in exchange with K200 million. But DeGabrielle dismissed the allegations, saying there was no basis.
Delivering his ruling in the absence of Mpinganjira yesterday morning, Justice of Appeal Rezine Mzikamanda said there were no valid grounds to grant a stay on the proceedings in the lower court where the businessperson was found with a case to answer.
Said Justice Mzikamanda: “I have looked at all documents presented to me, and I have listened attentively to the submissions. I have not been able to see any such good reason to grant a stay.”
Back in the High Court, Nkhono closed the defence’s case after the final witness failed to turn up.
Judge DeGabrielle has since directed both the State and defence to file their final submissions by June 30, 2021. She said oral submissions would be made at a date to be advised.
Mpinganjira, was found with a case to answer on April 15 this year.
The filthy-rich business tycoon was arrested in January 2020 and is accused of attempting to bribe five judges of the High Court of Malawi sitting as a Constitutional Court, who presided over the presidential election nullification case.
In April this year, High Court Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle found business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira with a case to answer in his alleged judges bribery case.
At that time, Mpinganjira was informed that he can enter his defence or remain silent as per his Constitutional rights.
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This is a serious and sensitive case which need not be taken rightly . If the judges were corrupt and recieve money from Mpinganjira and judge against the will of the people we couldnot have been here commenting this ,Malawi would have been on fire, thanks for the judges not to accept that money by today it should been blood money as we are writing today.
Mpingsnjira or any lomwe should not waste time with Malawian courts.
A lomwe ake atiwo? Is Mpinganjira lomwe? The name sounds chewa. There are so many Chewas in what you call Lomwe districts and that is why Chichewa dominates there. That is why you speak Chichewa at your Mlakho wa Lomwe. APM and Bingu simply wanted to brainwash you.
Corrupt, nepotistic court system
Anaziputa yekha and don’t blame anyone in this.
IN MALAWI BIG THEIVES ARE GIVEN NAMES LIKE TYCOON, BUSINESS MOGUL, FILTHY RICH,
YET CANNOT COME UP IN THE OPEN ABOUT WHO BENEFITED FROM THE SALES OF THE BANK.
SHAME EVEN ON THE JOURNALS