Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has adjourned to October 29 a case in which former minister of Information Henry Mussa and former director of Information Gideon Munthali are accused of stealing computers and a standby generator.
The two were arrested in connection with the disappearance of 10 computers and a genset where only one computer was recovered.
Mussa and Munthali, who were earlier found with a case to answer, appeared before court yesterday for cross-examination and re-examination of Munthali who testified earlier.
talks after the case
In cross-examination and re-examination, Munthali told the court that he surrendered the equipment to Mussa. He said the former minister was pressuring him to release the equipment.
He said the equipment was handed over after Mussa had left the ministry.
Munthali also told the court that there was something strange about the way the Ministry of Information handled the issue of the computers and gensets.
He said when he got the computers and gensets from Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) in Blantyre, the Ministry of Information in Lilongwe avoided. getting them despite it making the request for the items
Munthali said another official at the ministry could also not find space to keep the computers and instead left Munthali to move around with the equipment in his vehicle.
“I also found it peculiar that the minister then later started pushing for the equipment and when I complained to the PS [Principal Secretary] about the matter, the PS never acted on the issue,” he said.
Munthali further said there was no secret that he was keeping the computers as he had informed the ministry in advance that it was due to security concerns at the office as his personal effects kept missing at the ministry.
After he closed his part, Mussa’s lawyer Powell Nkhutabasa asked for an adjournment which the court granted.
Mussa will testify on October 29 and, like Munthali, he will be his own witness.
