The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Steven Kayuni and other two lawyers from the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), have joined to represent the state in a case which five senior managers for  Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons (DWS) and two Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) employees are answering on evasion of tax amounting to K10.8 billion.

The three lawyers will join the other two from the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Beatrice Mwangwela and Anthony Chungu who are already in charge of the case.

Speaking to Yoneco online, one of the lawyers representing MRA, Beatrice Mwangwela, said the two departments have joined the case because of its magnitude.

Mwangwela said: “As you are aware that the Director of Public Prosecutions is the ultimate prosecutorial authority in the country so he has shown interest in the case due to its magnitude.”

She further said FIA has also joined the case because of the money laundering offences.

Following the development the state will now be represented by five lawyers while the defence is being represented by three lawyers; Jai Banda, Frank Mbeta and Fostino Mayere.

The suspects from Mapeto DWS are Director Faizal Gaffar, Managing Director Mohamad Gaffar, Financial Controller Abdul Rashid Bakali, Procurement manager Yasmeen Muhammad and General Manager Martin Chapansi.

While MRA employees are George Mwaluka and Tsepiso Kaunda who work as customs officers.

All the suspects have pleaded not guilty to 15 counts bordering tax evasion levelled against them and are currently on bail.

During the court hearing on Tuesday, it was also revealed that one suspect who is a procurement officer for Mapeto DWS is still at large.

The case will proceed on June 3 when the court will move to Mapeto DWS premises where the goods alleged to have been imported without paying tax was being hidden.