Mphwiyo Shooting Case: Mpinganjira Not Ready To Testify As His Summon Delayed

Brown Mpinganjira

On Thursday, Brown James Mpinganjira, failed to give testimony in the ongoing attempted murder case of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo because summons which were sent by the registrars’ office never reached his hands.

Mpinganira, former People’s Party (PP) Vice President for the Southern Region was expected to stand in court before Justice Michael Mtambo to inform the court what he knows about the attempted murder of former budget director Paul Mphwiyo in September 2013.

Judge presiding the ongoing case, Justice Michael Mtambo directed court that following evidence, it was necessary to call Mpinganjira whose name has been mentioned through ought. Victim, Paul Mphwiyo was first to name him when he told court that prior to his shooting former minister of information, Mpinganjira alerted him that people who are threatening him to make dubious payments had given him ultimatum of 10 days to live if he continues not to comply.

On Thursday morning, the former Mulanje Central Legislature, Mpinganjira, actually presented himself to court and held closed door meeting with both parties where he informed them that he never came to testify because court summons never reached him therefore he needed more time to spend with his lawyer since he was not ready to testify.

Chibwana

“What happened was that there was some kind of communication breakdown.” Explains Enock Chibwana, state advocate, “The one who was sent to Blantyre to give him the summon was "told that Mr. Mpinganjira lives in Mulanje and he did not travel to Mulanje to hand him the summon. Unfortunately, this information was never relayed to the court”

However, Chibwana said “Had he relayed the information that there was need to travel to Mulanje we would have done so. But since there is proof that he wasn’t served with the summons it is in the interest of justice that he should prepare himself before he takes stand”

 

Director of Public Prosecution, Mary Kachale informed court after the closed meeting with Mpinganjira that he will testify in the next sitting of court scheduled for  27, 28 and 29 January, 2016.

Later, in the day, Chief Secretary to the Government, George Mkondiwa who testified around ministerial engagements which Kasambara had starting on 13th September 2013 the day Paul Mphwiyo was shot and on 14th of September.

Mkondiwa replied to Kasambara during cross examination that "it would be surprising" to hear someone stating that on 13th September Kasambara was with Mphwiyo around 3pm following tesimony last year by his former nanny who claimed that on 13th September Kasambara was with Paul Mphwiyo who was later shot that night.

Later, the court heard testimony from Mercy Mwadiwa from Reserve Bank whose testimony concur with that made on yesterday by an economist Daniel Jenya that there was investigative meetings early September on suspicious rise in government expenditure immediately Paul Mphwiyo was appointed as budget director.

Paul Mphwiyo was shot the night of 13th September, 2013 while serving as budget director.

This unearthed massive plunder of public resources which led to number of arrests of public officers and business gurus.

Former Minister of Justice, Raphael Kasambara, is answering Conspiracy while two others, McDonald Kumwembe and Pika Manondo are both answering the same charge together with attempted murder.

Inde Bank in Charity Work

Inde Bank supports Visual impaired families in Salima with farm inputs

Inde Bank on Friday afternoon brought joy among visual impaired farmers of Chinguluwe Settlement Scheme in Salima when the bank supported them with fertilizer and maize seeds.

The donation is worth MK600 thousand, to benefit up to 80 families blind families of the Scheme.

George Namandwa the Inde Bank Deputy Chief Executive Officer when presenting the donation in Salima at Chinguluwe, said the bank was overwhelmed with hard working spirit shown by these farmers and that the donation is meant to uplift their efforts so that this farming season they should realize more benefits farming.

“Inde Bank selected this area because it is concerned with the blind. We have a focus in our Corporate and Social Responsibility policy to target the underprivileged especially those to do with the blind.” He said

“Part of our mission statement we say that we want to be relevant to the communities in which we serve, relevance does not only imply making profits but uplifting the lives of people in which we serve. We believe that once we uplift those lives we build relationships that will then help us grow.” Said Namandwa

He said the bank would in future support these farmers depending on the availability of resources.

Boniface Calvin, a Chairperson for Malawi Union of Blind in Salima district shares his excitement towards this donation

“Am gratefully happy with the gift from Inde Bank because we are going to achieve what the blind people were lacking. For example we have here fertilizer and maize seeds this means we have a start.”

He noted that the support from Inde bank is a boost to the families of visual impaired farmers in the district who are currently not benefiting much from the government programme ‘Fertiliser Subsidy Programme (FISP)’ due to the limited number of beneficiaries per village since number of families including the blind are forced to share the contents that are meant for a single family coupon.

“Inde Bank has added more soup to the blind” he said adding “and as we have received the Inde Bank fertilizer it means that, plus the portion we are going to get from fertilizer subsidy the improvement of production will be very high next year”