The Supreme Court of Appeal has frozen Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Pioneer Investment bank accounts over the K2.7 billion police food rations deal.
The court yesterday granted Youth and Society (YAS) a stay order, setting aside the ruling of High Court Judge Jack Nriva who on Monday unfrozen the bank accounts saying YAS had no sufficient interest in the K145 million issue.
According to the Supreme Court stay order, the freezing of the DPP and Pioneer investments bank accounts has been restored.
“It is hereby ordered and directed that the decision of the Honourable Nriva J handed down on 20 August 2018 dismissing the claimants’ claims and in respect of which the court below declined an application for stay today 21st August 2018 be and is hereby stayed; and the interlocutory order freezing the first and second defendants’ accounts be and is hereby restored pending determination of the inter-partes application for stay pending appeal.”
Justice Rezine Mzikamanda will hear the interpartes application for stay pending appeal on August 28, 2018.
YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka has since vowed to ensure that Malawians get back their money.
The civil society organisation last month asked the court to freeze the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) account after an Anti-Corruption Bureau dossier showed that businessman Zameer Karim of Pioneer Investment sent K145 million to the account whose sole signatory is President Peter Mutharika.
Karim sent the K145 million to DPP shortly after getting payment for the K2.7 billion food rations contract which he was fraudulently awarded and which he used to defraud government of K466 million.
The DPP announced a few weeks ago that it will return the money to Karim.
Tiyeni naye ameneyo watsala pang’ono kugwa. Mpaneni, mfinyeni adziweso kuti Malawi is not his personal estate.