Africa-Press – Malawi. Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda, Friday granted bail to six people who were arrested during the festive season for allegedly printing fake Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) receipts worth K1.1 billion.
The court ordered each of suspects to pay K1 million cash and K10 million non-cash surety and further ordered them to report to police headquarters every fortnight. The bail conditions further bar the six from being found within MRA premises and Melton Hardware shop where the crime is said to have been committed.
On Thursday, state prosecutor assistant commissioner of police, Cecilia Zangazanga, pleaded with the court to keep the six in custody for another 14 days arguing that the state was yet to conclude its investigations.
“The matter is still under investigation; the state is asking the court that the accused should remain in custody for fear that they may tamper with the investigations,” Zangazanga said.
She added: “The state would like to look into some documentation that was being used by the accused and expressed fear that if all the accused were able to have MRA receipts, what could cause them to interfere with the investigations.”
In his bail application, Robert Majekete, one of the lawyers representing some of the accused persons, told the court that all the accused are Malawians with permanent residence in Lilongwe.
“Every offence is bailable, and let the court release the three accused on bail in order for the state to continue with their investigations. Everyone who is accused has the right to be released on bail in the interest of justice,” Majekete said.
He told the court that the state did not demonstrate how the accused would interfere with the investigations. The lawyers accused the state of breaking the 48-hour rule and bringing the accused to court after 48 hours.
“The state did not do the right thing, only that they brought the accused after a holiday, which means the state rushed to arrest the suspected people, yet they have not concluded their investigations,” he said. They have been charged with stealing, fraud, and conspiracy.
According to the particulars of the offence, McDonald Takumana and Ali Wisky, being workers employed by Melton Hardware as sales clerk and accountant assistant in 2023 in Lilongwe, respectively, with intent to defraud, were privy to make a false transaction by printing out false MRA receipts and issuing them to business owners without making sales for their own benefit amounting to K1.1 billion.
The other offence is that Takumana and Wisky allegedly stole K1.1 billion belonging to Melton Hardware. The other offence is that Takumana, Wisky, Kalindo Juma Golosi, Austin Ching’ani, Firstday Ching’ani, and George Maseko conspired to defraud Melton Hardware by printing out K1.1 billion MRA receipts without making any sales.
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