By Mercy Matonga
Lawyers representing leader of Enlightened Christian Gathering Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary Monday focused cross-examination of a key witness in the Bushiris’ case on alleged tampering of documents.
Appearing before Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza, the lawyers grilled key witness Sibongile Mzinyathi, who is also South Africa’s Director of Public Prosecutions.
His government wants the Bushiris to be extradited to that country to answer charges bordering on fraud and money laundering.
Monday, the case started with the State presenting the original documents which the defence has requested.
During the cross-examination, one of the Bushiris’ lawyers Wapona Kita asked the witness about administrative and legal procedures that were followed in the request for extradition.
Speaking after the hearing, Kita claimed that although the cross-examination was in its early stages, there were traces of evidence tampering.
“What is in the original [document] is not what is in the scanned documents. Our interpretation is that the original document is not authenticated; the original and the scanned copies were supposed to speak to each other,” Kita said.
State lawyer Dzikondianthu Malunda said he was happy with the proceedings.
“Everything was done according to the law. It is up to the court to make its ruling,” he said.
The case continues Tuesday.
The Bushiris escaped from South Africa in 2020 following what they described as attempts on their lives and that country’s failure to offer them protection.
They were on bail the time they left the Rainbow Nation through means which have not been made public to this day.
Bushiri described the decision to skip bail as a “tactical withdrawal meant to preserve lives”.
