The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe heard on Monday that President Lazarus Chakwera met with Finergy officials, a potential fuel supplier, to discuss corporate social responsibility, pending the company’s bid approval.
This information came to light during the cross-examination of former National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) Deputy Chief Executive Hellen Buluma in the ongoing fuel import deals trial.
In this case, former Energy minister Newton Kambala, Alliance for Democracy president Enoch Chihana, and former chief Presidential Adviser on Strategy Chris Chaima Banda are accused of trying to influence Buluma to award contracts to Orxy, Finergy, and Trafigura.
When asked by defense lawyer Bright Theu if she knew about the Finergy team meeting with Chakwera, Buluma responded negatively.
Theu then presented transcribed conversations where Banda informed Buluma that he had accompanied the bidder’s team to meet the President, a similar discussion he had with Kambala.
In her response, Buluma expressed doubt about their statements, as it was not uncommon for individuals to claim they were sent by the President.
She also mentioned that the two were collaborating, making it plausible for them to convey the same information.
These conversations were part of the audio recording Buluma submitted in court as evidence, demonstrating that the three were pressuring her to award fuel deals to the company.
Meanwhile, Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza ordered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to make available the Finergy presentation to Chakwera, after one of the defense lawyers Wapona Kita told the court that the graft busting body seized it from Banda.
Hearing of the case continues today.
The accused were apprehended in August 2021.
