DPP, councils want Blue Night case dismissed
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has asked the High Court to strike off a case in which five civil society organisations (CSOs) want it to pay back money it got from parastatals during its dinner and dance dubbed the Blue Night.
DPP is alleged to have solicited at least K13.5 million from public institutions when it hosted the event at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on July 29 2017 where President Peter Mutharika was guest of honour.
The other respondents in the Civil Cause Number 41 of 2017 are Lilongwe and Blantyre city councils as well as Lilongwe Water Board (LWB).
Appearing before Judge Zione Ntaba at the High Court, Zomba Registry on Monday, lawyers for the respondents led by Chimwemwe Sikwese argued that the CSOs are not eligible to take the matter to court.
Sikwese in an interview on Tuesday said: “We raised some preliminary issues, including that those that went to court are not eligible to take the matter to court, so the matter should be quashed.”
Representing the CSOs, Madalitso Kausi said the applicants have been given seven days to respond to the preliminary issues.
Kausi said the future of the matter depends on the ruling on the preliminary issues.
These CSOs in the case include Centre for the Development of People,, Youth and Society’s, Human Rights Consultative Committee. n