Court dismisses Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons top blasts application in tax evasion case

The High Court in Blantyre has dismissed an application and all preliminary objections raised by Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons (DWS) Limited executives and two Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) customs officers in the K16.5 billion tax evasion case.

In the application, Mapeto executives and two MRA customs officers asked the court to refer the matter to Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda for certification as a Constitutional issue.

Among others, they argued that they are answering charges under Financial Crimes Act of 2017, which they believed is not applicable in their case, saying the alleged offence was committed from 2012 before the introduction of the Act.

On the other hand, the executives and two MRA customs officers who are the accused persons in the matter, raised a number objections on the amendment of the charge sheet.

Delivering the ruling, High Court Judge Joseph Chigona noted that the application for certification of the matter and about all the 10 objections lacked merits and therefore dismissed them all in their entirety.

Source:NPL