Court hears high-profile corruption case

A Malawian court has completed hearing a case of alleged corruption against sacked government minister Brown Mpinganjira and will hand down its ruling on 16 January, AFP quoted judicial sources as saying. “The court will decide whether the accused has a case to answer,” magistrate Silvester Kalembera said late on Sunday at the conclusion of the trial. Mpinganjira, who alleges the case against him is based on trumped-up charges, was charged on four counts of official corruption amounting to US $2,000 when he was education minister two years ago. In their evidence, witnesses made no direct mention of Mpinganjira’s alleged involvement in corruption. Mpinganjira, one of the founder members of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) of President Bakili Muluzi, was on Saturday expelled from the party for “actions that smacked of rebellion”. Three other legislators, including Mpinganjira’s wife Lizzie, were also axed from the party. The dismissed minister last week formed a pressure group, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Before he was dropped from cabinet in November, Mpinganjira was widely tipped to succeed Muluzi as leader of the UDF. He said that through the NDA he now intends to oppose an alleged bid by Muluzi to amend the constitution and run for a third term when his office expires in 2004.