A Malawian tycoon has been sentenced to nine years in jail by a Malawi High Court after he was found guilty of trying to bribe judges in an election case.
The well-known, Thomson Mpinganjira reportedly wanted to manipulate the judges to rule in the favor of the then-president Peter Mutharika, in a case where the country’s opposition challenged the presidential election claiming that it was fraudulent.
Mpinganjira, one of the richest people in Malawi was recorded on tape offering financial inducements to one of the judges to influence the outcome of the court’s ruling, as reported by the BBC.
In the said case, the court found that there were widespread election irregularities. The court, therefore, ordered a repeat of the elections in which the opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera won the presidential race.
Following the case, Mpinganjira was convicted on 10 September but his sentence was passed on Tuesday, October 10.
While passing the sentence, Judge Dorothy DeGabriele noted that Mpinganjira did not commit a mere offense that involved dishonesty but an offense that depicted impunity.
The judge imposed two nine-year sentences on two counts. The sentences will, however, run concurrently since the offenses were committed under one transaction.
