The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Shyreen Chirwa has committed to the High Court a case which former minister of lands, Symon Vuwa Kaunda, former minister of irrigation and water development, Charles Mchacha, ministry of defense Principal Secretary, Bright Kumwembe and former Chief Secretary to government, Lloyd Muhara are answering.

They were arrested in connections of a dubious sale of Plot Number LW 1366 (Kanjedza Forest) belonging to the Department of Forestry to Mchacha without following proper procedures.

Last month, Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba quashed their corruption charges saying the State arrested the suspects illegally as there was no Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director following Matemba’s contract expiry on December 1, 2020.

Following the resumption of the case before Magistrate Chirwa, lawyer for the accused Chancy Gondwe appealed for a dismissal of the proceedings arguing that the application to reffer the case tothe case to High Court is misleading.

However, the court dismissed the defence plea and committed the case to the high court for trial.

Amongst the charges, Mchacha is being accused of inducing public officers to corruptly perform duties to award him a plot in Kanjedza project.

Kumwembe faces two counts of neglect of duty and giving false information. The counts relate to Mchacha’s graft case. (SOURCE: www.malawi.atlas.com)