On Monday, the State paraded former Director of Water and Sanitation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Emma Mbalame, who worked closely with Foundation for Irrigation and Sustainable Development (FISD) directors in a project they are accused of receiving double payment
She was testifying in a case involving four FISD for directors, Moses Chirambo, Frank Mwenechanya, Kondwani Nanchukwa Arthur Mpama and Daudi Kaunda an accountant from ministry of agriculture.
The case of the four is being heard by the Chief Resident Magistrate Court sitting in Lilongwe.
Three defense lawyers; Gift Nankhuni, Wapona Kita and Khwima Mchizi all had their time with the questions.
Asked if she personally considered the double payment an act of fraud, Mbalame said she did not believe so as the communication rightly identified it as an error.
She also told the court that besides this communication there was more correspondence between the ministry and the bank regarding the double payment.
But a moment to remember is Mchizi’s cross examination which lasted for just about two minutes but raised a question which strongly undermines the witness’testimony.
“Do you know the charges levelled against these suspects” asked Mchizi in a high-pitched tone.
Mbalame said she was not aware of the charges and wrongdoing – a response which sent the court into stitches.
Mchizi wondered why then she was in court if she didn’t believe there was any wrongdoing.
Kita asked for adjournment for the witness to produce more documents which is correspondence between Ministry of Agriculture and the African Development Bank – the funder of the project for which FISD is accused of receiving double payment.
Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza has since adjourned the case to 11th September, 2023 for the state to submit the demanded correspondence.
State advocate Grace Wasili, in an interview, said they will work to produce the requested evidence and also, after Mbalame, parade two more witnesses.
Defense lawyers have insisted that they still want the state to include African Development Bank (AfDB) as a witness in a case where four Fisd Limited directors and an accountant from Ministry of Agriculture are accused of receiving double payment in an AfDB funded project.
