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'Morupisi's allegations didn't spare President'

Morupisi PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Morupisi PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

Justice Mercy Garekwe of the Court of Appeal (CoA) says Carter Morupisi's allegations against judges presiding over his sentencing when sent to jail didn't only sting but also insinuate the President interfered with the judicial process.

Garekwe stated that Morupisi's allegations that the justices presiding over his sentencing "mortgaged their conscience to the Executive" and tried to impress the President, has shredded to pieces and dragged in the mud the integrity of the CoA. In a recent ruling where she declared that the State's appeal against the decision of the High Court to free from jail the former Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Garekwe said the allegations made were damning and painted a picture that the President was interfering with the Judiciary.

"The weight of the allegations made against the justices of this court who presided over the sentencing of Morupisi, and premised on a statement that appears in the sentencing judgment, can't be overlooked for they indeed paint a dim, damning, and alarming picture about the integrity of the said justices and, therefore, the CoA in general. It is important that I reproduce some of these allegations and contentions. They also don't spare the President of this Republic, insinuating, as they do, that he is interfering with the judicial arm of government," she said. Morupisi was released from prison on January 3, 2025, after successfully challenging his sentencing from the CoA because Justice Singh Walia's utterance about the President's desire to "see the end of corruption" was unconstitutional and infringed on him as the judge was only trying to impress the President at his expense.

Editor's Comment
SADC must see its words become action

An election is held in a member state, international observers raise concerns, but the Southern African Development Community (SADC) often remains silent or offers only gentle, diplomatic praise. This has led to a widespread belief that the regional body prioritises solidarity amongst governments over the democratic rights of ordinary citizens. This is why the preliminary statement from the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) on...

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