The state this morning asked the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court for more time to complete investigation in the case in which former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor Dalitso Kabambe is being accused of abuse of office.
Other suspects in the case are former RBM Deputy Governor Henry Mathanga, retired Director Rodrick Wiyo and one of the current Managers at Reserve Bank Leya Ndonga.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Steven Kayuni, asked the court to give the state 30 days to complete investigations before trial begins.
He noted that the four were arrested following the release of an RBM Forensic Audit Report and since then a team from Fiscal Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau and Financial Intelligence Authority has been investigating the matter.
According to Kayuni, Covid-19 has also delayed the investigations since some people earmarked for questioning were in isolation.
He added that upon completion of investigation, the state would be certain on the number of suspects and charges in the case.
However, defence lawyers asked the court to dismiss the case saying the request by the state raised questions as to why the suspects were arrested.
In his ruling, Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa adjourned the case for 45 days.
Kabambe and the three other suspects are currently on bail. They were charged in June with money laundering, two counts abuse of office and one count of neglect of official duty.
The state said in June that the four allegedly abused office by paying a compensation of K4.3 billion to FDH Bank without prior approval. Another case of abuse of office involves provision of credit to Mulli Brothers and other firms without prior approval of the board.
The suspects are also accused of neglect of official duty and money laundering with the state arguing that the suspects acquired K8.3 billion while knowing that the said sum represented proceeds of abuse.
