WATCH: I was suffering persecution in South Africa, says Bushiri
Updated | By Gaopalelwe Phalaetsile
Self-proclaimed prophet Shepard Bushiri believes his situation in South Africa must be described as persecution and not prosecution.
Bushiri was speaking to the media outside the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court in Malawi on Friday.
This was after the postponement of his extradition hearing alongside his wife Mary.
The state in Malawi has applied for the court to hear evidence from South African witnesses via video.
This is after magistrate Patrick Chirwa, who is presiding over the case, ruled in favour of the Bushiris in March.
Chirwa agreed with Bushiri's legal team that the state should not rely on witness statements from another country without testing their veracity.
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South Africa has applied for the Bushiri's to be extradited back into the country to face their fraud and money laundering charges after they violated their bail conditions in November last year and fled to Malawi.
They argue the authorities in the country have mistreated them.
"I am so sad to hear what is happening, but we were expecting this. When I was in South Africa, I was attending all the courts for almost three years and I never had a trial and witnesses never showed up, and right here what they are saying today those witnesses cannot come despite the ruling the magistrate had made in March I was not shocked.
"This supports my statement that what I was suffering in South Africa was persecution and not prosecution. We went through a lot of things including death threats. We are being told witnesses in South Africa cannot come because of Covid-19, but my lawyers who defended me in South Africa are here" Bushiri said.
The matter has been postponed to next week for a ruling.
The Bushiris have maintained their innocence.
Watch here:
WATCH: Self-proclaimed Prophet #Bushiri has maintained he suffered in South Africa. He was speaking outside the Lilongwe Magistrate Court after his extradition hearing was postponed. The state has applied for South African witnesses to testify via camera. pic.twitter.com/HWJraHGrvl
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) June 4, 2021
#Bushiri says they attend court for almost three years but no witnesses ever came.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) June 4, 2021
Credit: @mcbrams pic.twitter.com/0zI7pcpPg6
#Bushiri says its shocking that the state is telling the court witnesses cannot come to Malawi because of Covid-19 pic.twitter.com/RrMWf1gE9t
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) June 4, 2021
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