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| National |
| Chinese suspect released on bail |
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by
Emmanuel Muwamba, 17 October 2004
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09:16:21
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Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate Joseph Chigona Thursday granted bail to a Chinese national who was arrested last Friday for attempting to bribe an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officer.
Fucheng Sun is alleged to have offered K20,000 to ACB investigation officer Moses Tembo to stop him from arresting his father who is alleged to be staying in the country illegally.
Sun and his father are owners of Mvunguti Shopping Centre in Limbe. The son who came to Malawi as a manufacturer is also alleged to be operating a retail shop registered as a Malawian.
Public prosector Gaston Mwenelupembe told the court that Sun is alleged to have corruptly given Tembo K20,000 to release Fucheng Sun’s father who had been arrested for offences under the Immigration Act.
He said this was a corrupt practice with a public officer contrary to Section 24 (2) of the Corrupt Practices Act.
Mwenelupembe said the investigations are over and that the state will call two witnesses. He also said he learned that the defendant wanted to apply for bail on five conditions. The accused entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
“However we propose the following conditions, that the accused should be reporting to every ACB every Monday and Friday, pay a bond of K30,000 cash, surrender to court passports and any other travelling documents, should supply two sureties of K30,000 but not cash and that in the event that he leaves Blantyre he should inform the director of ACB in advance and furnish him with the physical address of his destination,” he said.
Defence lawyer Chimwemwe Ngwira did not object to bail conditions but magistrate Chigona dismissed the two sureties earlier in the day because, according to him, the two did not know what they were saying. And the court adjourned to 2 PM.
The two Jiang Zhen Zhen and Hwang Chun Miang in cross examination failed to satisfy the court on the house number where she lives and also on the money she earns monthly and the name of the bank which the second surety said is in Area 3 in Lilongwe, respectively.
Later in the day the court eventually granted bail to Sun after the two sureties satisfied the court on their physical address and other areas. Hearing has been set for October 26.
The case which was initially set for Tuesday failed to take place because the accused refused to accompany an ACB officer who had gone to Chichiri prison to bring him to the court, saying he needed to see his lawyer at the prison before appearing in the court. |
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