The defence in the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) fuel contracts case has alleged that state witness Helen Buluma was involved in awarding a contract to a company which did not bid for the contract
Defence lawyer Wapona Kita says they will expose the alleged misconduct of Hellen Buluma during her tenure at NOCMA where she worked as deputy chief executive officer as well as acting chief executive officer.
According to Kita, the defence will present an evaluation report in court showing evidence that a contract was awarded to a supplier which did not participate in the bidding process for a fuel contract.
He further told the court that recordings which Buluma recorded should not have been used in court as evidence since the recordings were made without consent of some of he people involved.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is prosecuting the case and its Chief Legal and Prosecution Officer Imran Saidi noted that during cross-examination that questioning is commonly framed to unsettle and disorient the witness.
In the case, former presidential aide Chris Chaima Banda, former Energy minister Newton Kambala and Alliance for Democracy president Enock Chihana are being accused of influencing NOCMA to award a contract to Finergy.
The three were arrested in August 2021 while Buluma was still acting CEO of NOCMA.
