The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it has completed extracting evidence from phones belonging to former Energy Minister Newton Kambala, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) President Enock Chihana and former Presidential Advisor on Strategy and International Affairs Chris Chaima Banda.

Appearing before Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa this morning in Lilongwe, ACB Director General Martha Chizuma said the graft bursting body is expected to finish extracting evidence from the suspects` laptop by Friday this week.

In an interview, Chizuma said the Bureau also wants to make some changes on the charge sheet and that it will serve the defence with evidence extracted from the phones.

Chizuma said: “There is just some slight things that we want to do on the charge sheet, the substance of the charge sheet will not change but just a few things that we want to just make sure that they are in correct order.”

“We are done with the gadget, at least the phones so they can come and pick them up today, we have to serve the defence by at least close of business tomorrow with the last part of the evidence which are the recordings, which are part of the evidence.”

The three, who earlier pleaded not guilty, are answering charges bordering on conspiracy to influence a public officer to abuse her office, abuse of office and attempting to influence a public officer to abuse her office.

On their part, lawyers representing the accused persons say they are ready with their defense once ACB is set with its case.

“We have agreed on dates when the case will proceed, so basically we just came to agree on how we are going to proceed with the matter and the dates of hearing.”

“There will be an amendment of some parts of the charge but we will be served with those as well in a due course,” said George Mwale, one of the defense lawyers.

Magistrate Chirwa has since set October 28 and November 1-2 2021 as the dates the court will commence hearing.