Former Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Director General Aubrey Sumbuleta has registered a victory in his indecent assault case as the High Court in Lilongwe has agreed with his application to have the case transferred to Blantyre.
Sumbuleta is facing charges of sexually harassing female employees at MBC. He was arrested in Blantyre and taken to Lilongwe.
But Sumbuleta through his lawyer David Kanyenda asked for the case to be transferred saying he resides in Blantyre and has to travel to Lilongwe for the case. He further argued that he was arrested in Blantyre.
However, Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Steve Kayuni said most of the state witnesses for the case reside in Lilongwe.
In his ruling, High Court Judge Redson Kapindu said there was no justification for prosecutors to take the case to Lilongwe after arresting the suspect on Blantyre.
Meanwhile, the Judiciary is expected to assign the case to a Blantyre based judge.
Sumbuleta was charged with two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual harassment and three counts of sexual abuse. He denies all of the charges.
He is accused of committing the sexual related offences against female employees at the public broadcaster.
According to a Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) report, Sumbuleta sexually abused four women at the public broadcaster.
One woman said she was sexually abused in 2010 when Sumbuleta was working as Deputy Director of Information and after he became MBC boss in 2015, the working environment became hostile for her.
The women have since been paid K49 million by MBC as compensation.
