The Supreme Court of Appeal has set 4 November, 2021 as the day when it will start hearing former cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara’s appeal against his conviction.
This is according to a notice of hearing signed by Registrar of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal and dated 20th September, 2021.
Take notice that the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal will on Thursday the 4th day of November at 9 O’clock in the forenoon sit in Lilongwe to hear the appeal herein,” reads the notice.
Kasambara, a former Minister in the Joyce Banda administration, was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2016 after being convicted of conspiracy to former Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo.
His co-accused at the time, Pika Manondo and McDonald Kumwembe, were sentenced to 15 years each for attempted murder of Mphwiyo whose shooting led to the revelation of the cashgate scandal.
The three appealed against the ruling with Kasambara faulting the judge for convicting them because of call logs. They also applied for bail pending appeal.
Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal judge Dunstain Mwaungulu granted Kasambara bail saying the High Court ruling was contradicting in that it found Kasambara guilty of conspiracy to murder but acquitted him of attempted murder based on the same evidence.
Mwaungulu also argued that basing the conviction on call logs was wrong as the people involved in the calls could have been discussing other things.
