DPP case pre-trial set for November 4

The High Court in Lilongwe has set November 4 2021 as a day for a pre-trial conference in a case involving former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its four estranged members.

On this day, the court, sitting seven days before the day of the actual trial, will ensure that everything ordered is in place, including witness statements and skeleton arguments.

The four—vice-president for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa, secretary general Grezelder Jeffrey (SG), treasurer general Jappie Mhango and Mulanje West legislator Yusuf Nthenda—dragged the party to court challenging their expulsion from their positions and the party.

In an interview yesterday, one of the lawyers for the four, Gilbert Khonyongwa said trial will be done seven days after November 4.

He said: “So on this day, it is the last process that we will undergo to make sure that everything that the court had ordered is in place. These are witness statements and skeleton arguments, everything so that the case is now ready for trial.

On October 5, the court gave the applicants seven days to amend statements of the case and both Khonyongwa and Nthenda said they served the other parties on the October 7.

Nthenda, a lawyer himself, said early submission of the amended statements has helped reduce the time that the court had set.

“We had seven days from October 5 that means we were supposed to submit the amended statements by October 12,” he said.

Lawyer representing DPP, Manuel Theu did not pick up calls on several attempts yesterday.

The case is being heard before High Court Judge Simeon Mdeza at the Lilongwe Registry