Sylvester Kalembera takes Escom graft case
A K4 billion corruption case involving former Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi Board Chairperson Jean Mathanga and three others is expected to start after it has been assigned to High Court Judge Sylvester Kalembera.
Both Anti- Corruption Bureau Director-General Reyneck Matemba and Registrar of the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal Agnes Patemba have confirmed the development.
“We have verified with the court; the case has now been assigned to Justice Kalembera. We will therefore proceed to file a notice so that the court gives us a date of hearing. After that we can start the trial,” Matemba said.
The development follows the decision by the Magistrate’s Court to commit the case to the High Court early last month.
Mathanga’s co-accused persons are former Escom Chief Executive Officer John Kandulu, former Director of Procurement Fanuel Nkhono and Senior Procurement Manager Emilius Kandapo.
Mathanga is answering the charge of neglecting official duty and giving false information during investigations into misprocurement of goods worth K4 billion at the utility body.
Nkhono and Kandapo are answering a charge of abuse of office while Kandulu is being accused of influencing an officer to perform her duties corruptly.
In August, ACB’s Chief Legal and Prosecution Officer Victor Chiwala hailed the Magistrate Court’s decision to commit the matter to the High Court as prayed.
“Our position was that once you produce a certificate before the court, the subordinate court must commit the file to the High Court,” he said.
After June 23 fresh presidential election, there have been a series of arrests of senior officials such as former Minister of Information Henry Mussa, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority Chief Executive Officer Collins Magalasi and former president Peter Mutharika’s bodyguard Norman Chisale.
