Former cabinet minister Uladi Mussa who is serving a five-year sentence for abuse of office has asked to be released on bail pending determination of his appeal at the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.
In an application filed by his lawyer Chancy Gondwe, Mussa has mentioned the delay for the start of his appeal case at the Supreme Court as the main reason he should be granted bail.
According to Mussa, he fears he might complete serving the five-year sentence before the appeal is heard.
Reads the affidavit in part: “Further, there is a very high possibility of the appellant serving his whole sentence before the hearing and determination of the appeal.
“In view of the aforesaid matters, it will be in the interest of justice, having considered the special circumstances of this matter to grant bail to the 1st appellant [Mussa] on conditions and terms that this court would deem fit.”
Mussa also argued that he is a citizen of substantial standing in the society and has always complied with bail conditions.
However, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has asked the curt to dismiss the application saying the High Court already rejected Mussa’s application for bail pending appeal.
ACB director of legal and prosecution Chrispin Khunga added that there is a high likelihood that Mussa’s appeal will be dismissed.
He said: “In view of the foregoing, there are no unusual or exceptional circumstances in this matter. Wherefore, I pray to the honourable court to dismiss this application for lack of merit.”
The court has since set tomorrow as hearing date for the application.
Mussa was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in 2017 for fraudulently issuing citizenships and passports to Burundians and Rwandans among other foreign nationals when he was the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security.
Together with former regional Immigration officer David Kwanjana, he was sentenced to five years in prison in 2020.
Mussa used to be the Vice President of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the Central Region and before his conviction he expressed interest to contest for the position of DPP president.
