The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s court has adjourned to 21 July 2022 hearing of a K10.5 million abuse of office case involving former Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Collins Magalasi. 

On Thursday, the State was supposed to continue trial with parading of witnesses but failed to proceed because of confusion on scheduled time.

According to Senior Assistant Chief State Advocate Dzikondianthu Malunda, the State advised its witnesses not to come to the court on assumption that the matter would be adjourned.

He said: “There was confusion today, Counsel Kaonga had written the court to request an adjournment based on the fact that he would be in the commercial court today.

And we had both thought the matter was coming for hearing in the morning only to realise this morning that actually this particular matter, the one involving Magalasi, was set down for hearing in the afternoon.”

Malunda said the State has remained with two witnesses having previously paraded six. The remaining two witnesses are Blantyre-based and did not travel to Lilongwe due to the confusion on the scheduled time.

Magistrate Florence Msekandiana has since set 21 July 2022 as a date she will continue hearing the matter where the remaining two State witnesses are expected to render their testimony.

The former Mera boss is answering two counts of fraud and abuse of office in accordance with a payment that the Authority made to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) convention in 2018.