Chisale, Mukhito, others plead not guilty to Cementgate case charges
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Norman Chisale, Peter Mukhito, and three others have denied all the charges leveled against them in a case in which they are accused of abusing the TAX Payer Identification Number (TPIN) for former President Arthur Peter Mutharika.
They are suspected to have misused former President Mutharika’s TPIN to import cement worth MK5 billion duty-free between November 2018 and June 2020.
The three others are businessmen Mahmed Chunara and Ahmed Chunara and former Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Deputy Commissioner General Roza Mbilizi.
The case proceeded to plea-taking after the Court dismissed Chisale’s request to the High Court to stay criminal proceedings against him in the case.
One of the State lawyers Dzikondianthu Malunda says they will parade 16 witnesses, but declined to divulge more details.
The suspects are facing counts of fraud, conspiracy to commit customs offenses, smuggling, aiding by abuse of office, making false documents, and money laundering among others.
The case has since been adjourned to a date that will be fixed both by the state and the defense and will have to communicate to the Court by August 25, 2023.
