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The high profile treason case involving Vice President Cassim Chilumpha and his alleged two accomplices Yusuf Matumula and Rashid Nembo, might commence shortly if the court admits two white men as authentic witnesses, The Nation has found out.
The two white men who the government would present as the assassins that were hired to execute the assassination plot of President Bingu wa Mutharika, were quietly taken to the High Court in Blantyre on Monday where they tendered their sworn statements and declared their willingness to testify.
A source at the High Court who witnessed the proceedings that were held in camera, said the court has, however, put their statements on the shelves and is in the process of verifying with other authorities the authenticity of the names that they used in their statements.
Our source said if it transpires that the two have used their real names the court would go full throttle with the case.
Director of Public Prosecutions Ishamil Wadi, however, expressed ignorance on the development. He preferred not to talk on this case after it was stalled; following the stay order on the criminal proceedings he obtained three weeks ago from the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The two assassins are said to have been accompanied by police prosecutors to the High Court where they submitted their sworn statements and told the court they would be ready to testify under the names that appeared on their passports.
The source said the court wanted more time to check if the names the assassins used were genuine considering the fact that previously the prosecution had wanted them to testify under fictitious names to conceal their identities.
Government arrested Chilumpha and Matumula on April 28 on allegations of plotting to kill the incumbent president in March during a crop inspection tour of Mzimba. The following day the government arrested Nembo as an accomplice and followed with further arrests of mainly United Democratic Front party gurus and Kamlepo Kalua of the Malawi Democratic Party.
Ten of the people arrested along with Kalua were unconditionally released after a few days leaving only the three that are presently on bail.
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