ACB seeks to amend charge sheet in K4bn Escom case
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it plans to amend the charge sheet in the K4 billion corruption case involving former Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) board chairperson Jean Mathanga and three others.
Through its lawyer Victor Chiwala, the ACB expressed its position when the High Court of Malawi reconvened in Blantyre yesterday for continued hearing of the matter.
He said: “We also want to amend the charge sheet before we proceed parading more witnesses.”
But Chiwala could not disclose details of the changes as presiding judge Sylvester Kalembera said the State’s prayer will be heard tomorrow.
In the case, Mathanga is accused alongside former Escom chief executive officer John Kandulu, former director of procurement Fanuel Nkhono and senior procurement manager Emmilius Kandapo. The quartet is accused of flouting some procurement procedures in the K4 billion transaction.
Earlier during yesterday’s proceedings, lawyer Joseph Kamkwasi—who is representing Kandapo—cross-examined former Escom chief internal auditor Louis Mlangiza on his earlier testimony.
Kamkwasi shared with the court several copies of e-mail communications made during the period the alleged crime was suspected to have been committed.
The lawyer asked Mlangiza to read some of the e-mail communication regarding meter migration and reposition project whose procurement the four are accused of flouting through use of single-sourcing method.
But during re-examination, Chiwala asked Mlangiza to identify some documents and their authors.
In his response, the witness said it was authored by Nkhono, but it was not signed.
“It raises questions of validity and authenticity of the document,” he said.
During his earlier testimony in court on August 25, Mlangiza told the court that Escom paid K5.2 billion to suppliers of goods that were bought without following the right procurement procedure in the 2015/16 financial year.
Mlangiza told the court that between 2015 and 2016, while working as Escom chief internal auditor, he received a report that some materials at the corporation’s stores had no relevant documents, a development that compelled him to conduct a procurement audit.
