Malawian businessperson Thom Mpinganjira attempted to bribe Constitutional Court Judges in order to secure a judgement in favour of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the High Court has ruled.
Judge Dorothy DeGabrielle has delivered the ruling today at the High Court in Blantyre.
Mpinganjira was accused of offering money to five Judges of the Constitutional Court who were presiding over the 2019 elections case in 2019. He wanted the judges to rule in favour of the president at the time Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
DeGabrielle in her ruling said evidence showed that Mpinganjira wanted to give the judges a parcel so that they should rule in favour of his choice.
The Judge also noted that Mpinganjira wanted the Judges to rule in DPP’s favour because the party owes him K946 million.
She added that the businessperson did everything to ensure that the judges received the money.
On Mpinganjira’s testimony that for years he had been making donations to political parties and politicians including the now ruling Malawi Congress Party, the Judge said Mpinganjira was only trying to embarrass the people involved since the money he wanted to give the judges was not a donation.
She then found Mpinganjira guilty of an attempt to bribe the High Court Judges.
The Judge also revoked Mpinganjira’s bail and ruled that he should be sent to Chichiri Prison in Blantyre to await sentencing.
Mpinganjira committed the crime in 2019 and was arrested in January last year, a month before the Constitutional Court Judges delivered their ruling in the elections.
In the ruling, the five judges found that the 2019 presidential elections, in which Mutharika was declared winner, were marred with widespread irregularities.
The judges nullified the elections and ordered fresh presidential elections. The decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeal
