The Blantyre Magistrate Court on Thursday adjourned to May 13, 2021, a case in which the former Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General Godfrey Itaye and two others are accused of abuse of office.
Itaye alongside MACRA director of finance, Ben Chitsonga and procurement specialist Joseph Ngalawa of authorizing payment of K8.5 million to Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons Limited (DWS) for the purchase of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cloth.
The case has been adjourned after lawyers for the defendants raised an objection on some documents that were tendered by the fourth state witness who is also the General Manager for Mapeto DWS, Martin Mpata, citing that they were not original copies.
When the witness tendered the documents that were showing the alleged transaction of money allegedly used by MACRA to purchase the party regalia from Mapeto DWS, the defense counsel argued that the documents were photocopies and only original copies were supposed to be presented in accordance with the law.
The two sides later agreed to adjourn the case to allow the state to look into the matter of the said documents.
Chief Resident Magistrate Godfrey Balaka, agreed to adjourned the case.
Speaking to YFM after the adjournment of the case, Senior Assistant Chief State Advocate Dzikondianthu Malunda, said they will either get the original documents or rectify the process of tendering the same document that were denied by the defense council.
Meanwhile, Chief Resident Magistrate Balaka has also stated that he will give a ruling of the State’s bail conditions variation request on the same date.
Itaye was arrested on September 1 2020, barely days after his co-accused persons Chitsonga and Ngawale were also picked by police.
