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| National |
| Mutharika pardons corruption convict |
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by
Mc Donald Chapalapata, 28 June 2004
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09:17:11
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President Bingu wa Mutharika on Friday pardoned on health grounds Shabir Suleman, who was serving a five-year jail term for attempting to bribe a High Court judge with K1 million.
Commissioner of Prisons Responsible for Operations, Training and Public Relations Tobias Nowa confirmed on Sunday Suleman is a free man following the presidential directive.
He, however, said Suleman’s accomplice Aslam Osman in the case is still in prison despite being admitted at Zomba Central Hospital for a kidney problem.
“Suleman has been sick since he entered prison. He was so serious that his life was in danger and that is why he has been pardoned,” said Nowa.
Asked who initiated Suleman’s pardon, Nowa declined to give out that information, saying it is classified.
“It could be you people in the media and it could be anyone else who is concerned, but I cannot tell you who initiated the pardon because that is classified information. But you should know that it is only the President who pardons prisoners,” said Nowa.
He also said as July 6, Malawi’s independence day, is approaching, they will prepare a list of prisoners to be considered for pardon by the President.
“If Osman continues to be sick as he is, we might include him on the list and of course there are also several other people who are sick and will be included on the list,” said Nowa.
Suleman is reported to have collapsed at Chichiri Prison, two days after his conviction on March 30 this year.
Suleman did not serve his sentence even for a month as he has been in private hospitals in Blantyre before he was transferred to Zomba prison about three weeks ago.
Suleman had his bail application denied by the Supreme Court of Appeal because he failed to show exceptional and unusual circumstances that could have moved the court to grant him bail.
Justice Atanazio Tembo said in his ruling in April that Suleman’s ill health was not an exceptional and unusual circumstance that could force the court to grant him bail.
Suleman is also being probed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on allegations that he bribed senior prison authorities to feign illness so that he continues to stay in hospital rather than in prison.
ACB Spokesperson Egrita Ndala told the local press early this month that the probe on Suleman was progressing well.
Suleman was being represented by former Chief Justice Richard Banda who also represented Mutharika in a case where the opposition were disputing results of the May 20 elections.
One of the prosecution lawyers Gustave Kaliwo said on Sunday that it is a prerogative of the President to pardon any prisoner.
“But if we are serious about corruption, all state machinery should work together to make sure that corruption is not tolerated. I am confused with this development because we were told that the appeal of the case was to be heard soon,” said Kaliwo.
Government spokesman Ken Lipenga said pardoning a prisoner is a prerogative of the President saying the President took into consideration a number of specific factors relating to Suleman and determined that a pardon was the best course of action in this particular matter.
“The pardon of Suleman has no bearing whatsoever on the President’s determination to continue and even intensify the fight against corruption,” said Lipenga. |
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