Malawian businessperson Thom Mpinganjira has been found with a case to answer on charges related to attempts to offer bribes to High Court Judges.
Justice Dorothy DeGabrielle has delivered her ruling this morning.
Mpinganjira is facing charges of offering and giving advantage to public officer, attempting to induce public officer to perform functions corruptly, attempting to induce public officer to abuse his public office, attempting to induce an office to perform function corruptly and attempting to induce public offer to abuse public office.
Following the ruling, he has the right to enter defence and provide evidence or to remain silent. His lawyer Patrice Nkhono told the court that he will discuss with Mpinganjira regarding the action that the suspect will take.
Meanwhile, DeGabrielle has adjourned to 11 May, 2021.
The suspect Mpinganjira will remain on bail but the court has warned him that it will be revoked if he breaches the conditions of the bail.
Mpinganjira is accused of attempting to bribe five judges of the Constitutional Court which was hearing the Presidential Elections case in 2019.
He allegedly offered K100 million to the judges as he wanted them to rule the elections case in favour of the then president Peter Mutharika.
One of the Judges, Mike Tembo, in his testimony during trial, told the court that Mpinganjira claimed to have sent money to the judges through Mutharika’s lawyer Frank Mbeta but the money never reached the judges.
