High court adjourns Malawi police food rations case

High court in Blantyre has today adjourned a case relating to the freezing of bank accounts for democratic progressive party DPP and Pioneer Investments in connection with the 2.7 billion kwacha Malawi police service food rations scam to Monday afternoon 6 August, 2018.

On July, 30 this year the court ordered National Bank of Malawi to freeze an account for Xameer Karim of Pioneer Investments over the supplier’s alleged link to the 2.7 billion kwacha scam.

The order followed a court case in which YAS sued DPP and Pioneer Investments on July 24 2018 asking the court to freeze the accounts for the two institutions among others,” reads court report

Appearing in court on Friday 3 August, 2018 lawyer representing the applicant Youth and Society YAS pleaded with the court to adjourn the case to a later date on the grounds that the lawyer handling the matter Bright Theu was attending a funeral of his brother in law.

However, reacting to the matter lawyers representing the first and second defendants objected that the reasons to adjourn the matter are not valid.

“The case is a serious one considering the fact that it has affected business of the defendants,” they said.

However, responding to the argument before High court judge Jack N’riva adjourned the matter to Monday afternoon.

Th case follows a leaked investigation report by Ant-corruption bureau which documented that Pioneer Investments made ana abortive interest claim of 466 million kwacha and deposited 145 million kwacha into DPP account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory is President Professor Peter Mutharika.

In the case DPP secretary general greixeider Geffrey and legal affairs director Charles Mhango are first defendants and Karim is second defendant while Innocent Botomani of MPS is the third defendant.

On the other hand standard bank, NBM, director general of Anti corruption Bureau and former secretary general to the treasury Dr Ronald Mangani are first, second, third and fourth parties cited respectively.

The case follows a leaked ACB investigations report which documented that Pioneer Investments made an abortive interest claim of 466 million kwacha and deposited 145 million kwacha into DPP bank account at standard bank whose sole signatory is president professor Peter Mutharika.