Prosecutor in no show for Uladi Mussa’s Immigration case
The hearing of the case in which former minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Uladi Mussa, is being accused of aiding foreigners to illegally acquire Malawian citizenship in 2013 failed to take off yesterday due to the absence of lead prosecutor Kamudoni Nyasulu.
Mussa and former Senior Assistant Chief Immigration Officer, David Kwanjana, are answering two counts of negligent of official duty and using public office to the advantage of somebody.
The State told the court that it would be difficult to proceed with the case without Nyasulu as all the details of the case are locked in his office.
The prosecution team asked for an adjournment to tomorrow afternoon, saying the lead prosecutor would be arriving yesterday.
The State prosecutor who delivered the reasons for Nyasulu’s failure to attend proceedings told the court that Nyasulu travelled to Italy for family business and was initially scheduled to be back in the country on September 19.
While in Italy, according to the prosecutor, Nyasulu started feeling unwell and was hospitalised, which resulted in him missing the scheduled flight to Malawi.
Presiding Judge Chifundo Kachale said the court regrets that the hearing failed to proceed in a case where the lead counsel is working with an associate counsel.
Kachale said he expects all parties involved in the case to consider time as something that needs to be preserved for speedy justice delivery.
“But the court will still accommodate the State’s prayer for adjournment,” Kachale said.
The foreigners suspected to have benefited from the process include 22 Burundians, 16 Rwandese, Nine Ugandans and three Tanzanians.
Some Burundians, Rwandans and Ugandans who are part of the case are suspected to have influenced Mussa and Kwanjana to unlawfully approve the citizenship applications of the 50 foreign nationals.
Mussa, Kwanjana and three foreigners in the case pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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