The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has today, April 22 2024 in Lilongwe, restored charges against senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official Joseph Mwanamvekha who had his case discharged earlier this year.
The State through Director of Criminal Litigation, Dzikondianthu Malunda, asked the magistrate court to commit the accused to the High Court where he will be charged with offences relating to financial misreporting to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 2018 and 2020 when he was minister of Finance under the Democratic Progressive Party administration.
Lawyer Mercy Chijere Chirwa earlier on applied for an adjournment indicating that defence lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale, SC, intended to oppose the committal proceedings.
The court, however, proceeded to commit the matter to the High Court, Financial Crimes Division.
“When the DPP files a committal certificate, the duty of this court is to simply inform the accused persons that their matter will be heard at the High Court and, thereafter, transmit the file to the High Court,” said Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Khoswe Chimwaza.
Apart from the former Finance Minister Mwanamvekha, there were two others who were joined to the case, Samuel Maliton who was Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) General Counsel at the material time and Cliff Chiunda.
They join Henry Mathanga and Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, former Rerseve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor, to answer charges of conspiracy, making misleading statements and money laundering.
