Mutharika’s will case postponed to July 9

The High Court in Zomba  on Friday postponed hearing of an application by former first lady Callista Mutharika to remove her  step children, Duwa and Tapiwa, as administrators of the controversial K61 billion (about $153m) deceased estate left by the former president Bingu wa Mutharika.

The hearing has been deferred to July 9.

The court was set to hear the application on Friday, but due to some technicalities, lawyers representing Callista asked for the adjournment.

Callista, who does not appear as a beneficiary in Mutharika’s will, is asking the court to revoke letters of administration according to the application filed in court on Wednesday.

The former first lady, who is already engaged in other legal battles with Mutharika’s children over the deceased property, also wants the court to give a consequential order that Duwa and Tapiwa fully account to the deceased’s estates for whatever they have done with or under the power of the said order.

Callista wants the letters of the administration surrendered to the court forthwith.

Mutharika’s “last will and testament” was written in March 2008, barely a year after the death of his first wife Ethel and the former president did not revise it after he married Callista in 2010.

His two daughters—Tapiwa and Duwa—remain administrators of the multi-billion kwacha estate.