Supreme Court clears Mzondi Mvula
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court decision to acquit former principal resident magistrate Mzondi Mvula of corruption charges.
The High Court in Blantyre acquitted Mvula who was accused by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of soliciting a K5 million (US$11 236) bribe from a businessperson to stop execution of a warrant of arrest.
The ACB, unsatisfied with the High Court’s decision that acquitted Mvula and his two co-accused— businesspersons Rashid Gaffar and Kondi Msungama—appealed to the Supreme Court.
While Mvula was among others, charged with soliciting a bribe and misuse of office, Gaffar and Msungama were charged with aiding and abetting corruption and misuse of office.
Businessperson Ramesh M. Patel, according to the court record, reported to the ACB how Mvula purportedly solicited the bribe and the roles Gaffar and Msungama played.
The lower court learnt that the warrant of arrest, according to Patel’s statement, was never there, and it was one of the reasons it used to discredit the State’s case against the three.
After hearing the appeal application, a three-judge panel of Edward Twea, Richard Chinangwa and Maxon Mbendera, has confirmed the finding of the lower court and said the appeal failed.
