By Linda Kwanjana
The state through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has asked the court to adjourned the summon proceeding of Paramount Holdings Limited (PHL) Directors in undisclosed criminal charges which was slated for Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate court.
In a court notice seen of a case number 868 of 2023, addressing the Chief Resident Magistrate court by DPP Masauko said the state needs to review and understand the contents of the summon before proceeding with criminal charges against PHL’s directors.
The court summons cases against the state and Prakashi Virji Ghedia, Arvindkumar Atit Patel, Suresh Khimji Jagatiya and Paramount Holdings Limited is yet to commerce.
This is the third time the state has failed to disclose summoning charges against PHL’s directors while keeping on resorting court adjournments.
The summon was firstly adjourned from August 11 to September 6, 2023, secondly from September 6 to January 17, 2024, and thirdly from January 17 to an undisclosed date.
In an interview with PHL’s lawyer Gift Katundu outside the court on Wednesday, he said that the summon proceedings failed due to two factors, including Chief Resident Magistrate absence and DPP’s plea for adjournment.
Katundu told journalists outside the court that “The defence team will keep on dancing to the state’ tunes within the time flame given.
“Thereafter, my client will take another step if the state fails to bring the case to light.”
Background
Paramount Holdings (PHL) Limited has been facing persecution from greedy and jealous competitors who have now resorted to creating and circulating fake news about the company.
Competitors’ greed and jealousy are the main driving force behind civil case 868 of 2023 in which PHL directors are being accused of making a false document showing that the company is an authorised dealer of Yamaha Motorcycles in Malawi, our investigations have revealed.
PHL is one of the leading and most reliable suppliers of agriculture implements and construction machinery and appointed dealer for Yamaha motorcycles and other Yamaha products in Malawi.
But since Yamaha Japan appointed the company as an authorized dealer of its products in Malawi, their competitors have been creating and circulating fake news aimed at nothing, but to tarnish the image of PHL and its directors.
This is despite the fact that PHL has been contributing significantly to the welfare of Malawians through donations to public health facilities and timely delivery of farm inputs in the Affordable Input Programme (AIP).
PHL was probably the first entity to heed a call from President Lazarus Chakwera to the corporate world to help in the renovation of Area 25 Health Centre in Lilongwe after it got vandalized by the angry Mgona residents early 2023.
It is the only company that donated state-of-the-art equipment to the facility.
A few months later, PHL sourced a modern ambulance, medical equipment and furniture from a Japanese company, Itochu Cooperation, and Takemoto Oil and Fat Co. Limited.
The ambulance and all the other supplies were donated to Therere Health Centre in the area of Senior Chief Ngabu in Chikwawa.
At the height of scarcity of NPK and UREA fertilizers in 2022, the company successfully assisted the government in securing a huge tonnage of the inputs, which were distributed to thousands of farmers where it was contracted to supply.
But despite all this goodwill, its competitors have not relented in persecuting it using propaganda and fake news designed to tarnish its image.
One of the PHL competitors Luthando Holding Limited alleged that the company is making false claims about its dealership for Yamaha Motor Company Ltd of Japan to the extent that they sought court injunction stopping Yamaha Motors Limited from dealing with Paramount Holdings.
This comes despite Yamaha Motors issuing certificate to PHL as a sole distributor, seller and importer of Yamaha products to Malawi.
Recently Luthando Holdings Limited last week used Stansfield Motors’ limited name with a bogus address last week to obtain an injunction stopping Yamaha Motor corporation from awarding sole dealership of Yamaha’s to Paramount Holdings.
This has been revealed when different lawyers with default judgements against disbanded Stansfield Motors frocked the High Court to learn on the physical address of Stansfield Motors as presented to the High Court.
It has been learnt that Luthando Holdings filed for the injunction using bogus address for Stansfield Motors limited that ceased to exist in 2019.
Stansfield Motors was declared bankruptcy for failing to pay bank loans of MK5 billion, consequently being closed and disbanded.
Currently, former Stansfield Motors workers are in court claiming their dues.
Luthando Holdings and its partners are bitter with the recent pronouncement of Japanese leading automobile manufacturer Yamaha Motors company by certifying PHL as a sole importer and seller of Yamaha products for Malawi.
