Katopola in court on April 22
Suspended Clerk of Parliament Matilda Katopola will appear in court on April 22 for trial in the criminal Monik Trends firm case.
Katopola confirmed on Thursday that the court had set the date for trial of the case.
“All I can say is that the criminal case is coming on April 22,” said Katopola.
When she appeared before the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court on July 24 2012, Katopola pleaded not guilty to two charges of abuse of office and failure to declare interest in award of contracts.
The hearing marked the return of the controversial awarding of K87 000 contract to her Monik Trends firm in September 2007, a matter that saw her fired and then reinstated by the then president the late Bingu wa Mutharika.
In the case, she is accused of flouting procedures and not declaring interest when Parliament procured printing and photocopying services from Monik Trends.
Both the National Audit Office and the late Mutharika cleared Katopola. According to court documents, she argues that the revival of the case is political.
