Malawi’s High Court has found prominent businessman Thomson Mpinganjira guilty of attempting to bribe judges in an effort to get them to rule in favour of then-President Peter Mutharika.
Mpinganjira is one of Malawi’s richest people and is known to have links to Mr Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Mr Mutharika was re-elected for a second term in May 2019, but the opposition went to court to challenge the results, arguing that they were tainted with irregularities.
Mpinganjira was recorded on tape offering one of the judges financial inducements to influence the court outcome.
In 2020, the court ruled that there had been widespread irregularities and ordered a new election. Mr Mutharika lost the re-run to Lazarus Chakwera.
In Friday’s judgement, the High Court in Blantyre found Mpinganjira guilty of corruption and ordered that his bail be revoked as he waits for sentencing.
Source: BBC
