The High Court in Blantyre has this morning failed to convene to deliver a ruling on whether business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira has a case to answer in his alleged Constitutional Court judges bribery case.

Registrar of the High Court and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, Gladys Gondwe, has told Nation Online that the court has failed to convene because Mpinganjira was unable to appear before the court.

However, Gondwe said parties to the case will virtually meet on March 22, 2021 for Mpinganjira’s lawyers to give an update on the status of their client regarding his appearance before the court.

Mpinganjira, who was arrested in January last year, is accused of attempting to bribe five Constitutional Court judges who presided over the historic presidential election case to rule in favour of former president Peter Mutharika.

Among others, Mpinganjira, who resigned as FDH Holdings Limited chairperson last year, is answering charges under the Corruption Practices Act such as offering an advantage to a public officer, attempting to induce public officers to exercise functions of their offices corruptly and for purportedly attempting to influence public officers by offering K100 million to High Court judge Mike Tembo, a member of the five-judge panel.