The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has dismissed an application by Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, who wanted the extradition request by South Africa to be dismissed.
On Monday, the Bushiris appeared in court to hear the court’s ruling on their application for the court to dismiss the extradition request by South Africa.
Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza in the ruling this morning said the application to dismiss the request was premature since no documentary evidence had yet been presented in court.
The court has, however, agreed with the application made by Prophet Shepherd Bushiri that the evidence which South Africa brought in their extradition request is not authenticated, as such, it cannot be used in court.
Chimwaza said the court will convene on 10th October to receive the evidence from South Africa and then determine way forward.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, lawyer for the Bushiris, Wapona Kita, said they are satisfied that the court has agreed with the defence’s primary objection regarding the documents presented in court.
On his part, State lawyer Dzikondianthu Malunda said the state intends to call a single witness, Sibongire Mzinyathi, who serves as the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Gauteng province in South Africa.
South Africa wants the Bushiris to be extradited to the rainbow nation where they fled in 2020 after being granted bail. The two were arrested in South Africa on allegations of money laundering.
