State accuses Wim Akster of delaying sodomy trial as court adjourns defense hearing

The state has accused Dutch national Wim Akster of deliberately frustrating the progress of his ongoing sodomy case after the Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court adjourned the matter to next month for the defense hearing.

Akster, a former finance director at Timotheos Foundation, is accused of sodomizing young boys who were beneficiaries of the organization’s bursary scheme.

Chief Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha on Wednesday set June 16 to June 19 as dates for Akster to present his defense after his lawyer, Michael Goba Chipeta, asked for more time to prepare.

Chipeta told the court that he had not completed preparations because of other professional commitments and the need to interview several witnesses.

In an interview after the court session, state prosecutor Victor Jere said the State was disappointed with the adjournment, arguing that the defense had already been given enough time following the court’s April 13 ruling that Akster had a case to answer.

“We were meant to proceed with the further hearing of the matter today. If you may recall, when the court made its ruling on the case to answer on April 13, the defense counsel had asked for an adjournment for 21 days to consult with his client and decide on the way forward,” said Jere. “The court not only gave them 21 days, it actually gave them about 38 days. But up to this morning, we had not been served with any witness statements. We were only served right there in court.”

Jere said the defense intends to call 16 witnesses, a development he said made it impossible for the State to adequately prepare for cross-examination and forced the court to adjourn the matter.

The prosecutor further alleged that the delay was calculated and intentional, claiming the State had received a warning from Akster’s sisters through a letter.

“We got information from two sisters of the accused person who gave us a heads up saying their brother is bent on delaying this matter as much as he can,” Jere said. “The plan, according to the letter, was to file witness statements at the very last minute to occasion an adjournment because if statements are served very close to the hearing date, it gives the State no time to prepare for cross-examination.”

Jere argued that what transpired in court matched exactly what the State had been warned about.

“How do you explain the fact that on Friday we got a letter from the accused’s siblings saying this is what he was planning to do and then this morning his lawyer says he was overwhelmed with work and could only serve the statements today? I choose to differ that this was just a coincidence,” he said.

The State has since asked the court to revoke Akster’s bail, arguing that he is abusing the privilege and frustrating the administration of justice.