Fisd wants to be discharged from case

Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (Fisd) Limited has asked the State to amend the charge sheet in the alleged double payment case and drop the company as part of the accused parties.

Defence lawyer Wapona Kita yesterday told the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court that the defence had reservations with the proposed amendment by the State to have Fisd Limited take plea on the charges the company’s directors are answering.

The lawyer also raised concern with the State seeking an adjournment of the case on the basis that a witness, who was to appear before court yesterday, had failed to do so after his wife was taken ill.

Senior State advocate Pirirani Masanjala had told the court that the witness was his wife’s guardian; hence, was not in the right mind to testify.

But Kita argued there was no evidence to back the reasons for seeking the adjournment.

Masanjala said the State will have to discuss with the defence on the concerns raised in the proposed amendment.

The State had earlier sought an amendment of the charge sheet in the case in which four Fisd Limited directors Moses Chirambo, Frank Mwenechanya, Kondwani Nanchukwa and Arthur Mpama are suspected to have received double payment of $325 731 (about K268.7 million) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for a project in Ntcheu.

Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Florence Msekandiana cautioned the State to ensure that witnesses communicate in time when they have challenges.

She has since adjourned the case to May 18 2022.