The Netherlands national Wim Akster has paraded eight witnesses to back his case where he is accused of sodomising male students and workers associated with Timotheos Foundation.
Yesterday, four witnesses testified in the Blantyre Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court. They included beneficiaries of the foundation’s bursary programme.
The court asked the media not to reveal the identity of the witnesses.
| Mathews Kasanda
In their testimonies, some of the witnesses told the court that following Akster’s suspension in 2020, they were approached and encouraged to testify against him in exchange for various favours, including opportunities to attend good schools and secure employment.
One witness denied being sexually abused by Akster. The witness said while he was in school, he occasionally visited Akster’s home to collect necessities.
“Whenever he was busy, he would call us to his home to collect some necessities, but I have never heard of him having sex with anyone,” the witness told the court.
The witness further said that after completing training at Stephanos Vocational Training Centre, he joined five colleagues at the residence of a Timotheos Foundation employee while searching for internship opportunities.
According to the witness, he was persuaded by his colleagues who said were receiving counselling in relation to Akster’s case and claiming they would each receive more than K1 million if the accused was convicted. However, he said he later changed his mind and left after realising he was not being offered an internship opportunity.
Another witness, a former employee of the Timotheos Foundation alleged that there had been a plot to remove him from the organisation because he was perceived to be close to Akster. He claimed he was accused of being a womaniser and was eventually dismissed without what he described as a proper procedure.
Chief resident magistrate Paul Chiotcha cautioned the witness that he risked being found in contempt if he continued making unsubstantiated statements.
During cross-examination, State lawyer Victor Jere produced documents showing that Akster had co-signed the witness’s suspension letter on grounds of incompetence. Jere also presented the foundation’s board report recommending the witness’s dismissal over allegations that he assaulted a fellow employee.
Eight more witnesses are expected to testify before the defence closes its case.
Akster faces charges of having carnal knowledge against the order of nature and kissing some alleged victims without their consent between 2019 and 2020. The case was referred back to the magistrate’s court in 2024 after the Constitutional Court ruled against Akster’s challenge to the case’s constitutionality.
