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| National |
| Alleged judge bribers sent to High Court |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 19 March 2003
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The Blantyre Magistrate Court yesterday committed to the High Court two Malawians of Asian origin arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) two weeks ago on suspicion of offering a K1 million bribe to retiring judge Mackson Mkandawire.
Senior Resident Magistrate Jack Nriva committed to the higher court Aslam Osman of Green Land Seed and Director of Price Worth Wholesalers Shabir Suleman alleged to have tried to give Judge Mkandawire the bribe on three occasions so that he rules in their favour.
Gurmair Garments Manufacturing Limited sued Suleman’s Ishmael Properties over rentals. Gurmair Garments Manufacturing Limited were renting Suleman’s premises in Limbe.
“I commit you, the two accused persons, to the High Court for trial of the matter,” said Nriva after being presented with a committal certificate from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Fahad Assani by ACB lawyer David Kanyenda.
Before presenting the certificate, Kanyenda told the court the DPP had granted the ACB his consent for prosecution to go ahead on the matter and had appointed private lawyer Gustave Kaliwo to prosecute the two accused persons.
Defence lawyer Charles Mhango said he did not have problems with the prosecution application that the matter be tried in the High Court.
“I have no objection. I agree that the matter be committed to the High Court as I had earlier said in this court,” said Mhango.
Osman said he would bring one witness, Moses Ngowe, while Suleman said he would parade three witnesses, a Mr Lari, Mr Manda and Iqbal Abdul, to testify in their defence.
The two are on bail after they paid a cash amount of half a million kwacha each as bail bond and surrendered to the ACB their passports and all travel documents in their possession. Both of them also provided two sureties, not in cash, in the sum of K300,000 each.
They also report to the ACB offices twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.
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