Chaponda’s case moves to Zomba
High Court judge Dingiswayo Madise has dismissed the State’s application to transfer to the High Court a case in which former minister of Agriculture, Water Development and Irrigation George Chaponda is accused of corruption.
The judge says he is of the view that the certificate issued to commit the matter to the High Court was unreasonable and lacked merit.
He has since transferred the matter from the Chief Resident Magistrate in Blantyre to Chief Resident Magistrate in Zomba and has also ordered that the case start within 21 days.
Both the defence, which had applied for judicial review of the case, and the State which wanted the case to be heard by the High Court and not Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate Simeon Mdeza, say they are happy with the court’s determination.