Bushiri’s extradition case adjourned

By Vitumbiko Mvula…….

The Lilongwe Magistrate court has today adjourned the extradition case involving the Enlightened Church Gathering ( ECG) Prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary to 10 July 2023.

This follows an application by the defence that the witness statements were not authenticated according to law. The defence has been given 14 days to make formal application and also another 14 days for the state to respond.

Chief resident magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza observed that the application by the
defence goes to the very core of the case hence the decision to allow for a formal application.

Wapona Kita, Bushiri’s lawyer said the state that it has not made full disclosures.

” All witnesses are not authenticated according to the two rulings on this matter.The extradition request must be dismissed without hearing the so called evidence in support of it.” Kita said.

Senior State Advocate from the Director of Public Prosecutions ( DPP) Dziko Malunda cited that it is an ambush, the preliminary objection by the defence saying it was supposed to have been filed formally.Malunda also told the court that six witnesses will be testifying and currently only one witness showed up to testify.

The witness to testify is Sibongile Mzinyathi ,Director of Public Prosecutions for Gauteng Province in the Republic of South Africa.

Bushiri and his wife are accused of a multimillion money laundering in South Africa. The two fled to Malawi in November 2020 days after he was granted bail in dubious circumstances.