Lilongwe – Vice President Saulos Chilima has made an appearance at the High Court in Lilongwe as his corruption case resumes today. Chilima is expected to enter his plea before the Financial Crimes Court, a division of the High Court. Presiding Judge Redson Kapindu will also provide necessary directions pertaining to the case.
In a notable development, Chilima has assembled a legal team led by former Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale. Kaphale will spearhead the defense efforts on behalf of Chilima.
The case against Chilima dates back to November of last year when he was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on several charges. One of the allegations against Chilima is that he allegedly received $250,000 from Zenith Sattar in exchange for influencing procurement deals at the Malawi Police Service.
During today’s court proceedings, Judge Redson Kapindu expressed his apologies for the delayed start of the case. He attributed the delay to a fresh application by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) regarding the plea and directions, which he had not been previously aware of.
Initially, the ACB had filed an application for a mention, but it was later discovered that this application was erroneously filed and subsequently withdrawn by ACB lawyer Chrispin Khunga.
Judge Kapindu questioned why the ACB did not formally apply to withdraw the mention application. Meanwhile, lead defense lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed service of the Plea and Directions application by the ACB. Kaphale emphasized that the defense has a number of preliminary objections to raise before Chilima can enter his plea, including the request for the ACB to provide the defense team with all relevant case disclosures.
The case continues, and all parties involved are awaiting further directions from the presiding judge.
Nyasa Post will continue to closely follow the developments of this high-profile corruption case and provide timely updates as the trial progresses.
