Prosecution fails again to start in Justice Mponda’s case as state is to hire private lawyers

Prosecution in which the state is accusing Malawi Voice editor, Justice Mponda, for extortion failed to start again today at the Blantyre Magistrates Court after the state put it forward that its key witness is in South Africa.

Mponda is being accused of extortion after he allegedly obtained money from Peoples’ Party Joseph Chikwemba to take down a story he had published on Malawi Voice that linked the First family to the Cashgate scandal. He was earlier charged of threatening the royal family but the charge was changed to extortion.

The case has, therefore, been adjourned to December 11 at the same court with the state alleged to be planning to hire a privately practicing lawyer to prosecute Mponda.