Akster’s sexual assault case set for March 12
The accused, Akster
The criminal trial of Dutch national Jan Willem Akster, accused of sexual assault, will resume on March 12 at 9:00 AM before the Chief Resident Magistrate (CRM) in Blantyre.
State lawyer Victor Jere confirmed the development, explaining that delays in the case were due to miscommunication regarding the case file.
“I can confirm that the file has now been reassigned to the CRM. Initially, there was confusion because it remained at the High Court instead of being returned to the magistrate’s court after an earlier Constitutional Court appearance,” Jere said.
The case was scheduled for trial last Thursday, but proceedings stalled when it was discovered that presiding magistrate Andrew M’manga was unaware he was handling the matter and then its file was nowhere to be found.
Jere, however, clarified that this was as a result of the file’s misplacement.
Akster, a former Finance Director of the Timotheus Foundation, is accused of sexually abusing children under the foundation’s bursary scheme. He allegedly demanded sexual favors from male victims in exchange for bursary consideration or job security.
“The complainants include students who were on the bursary scheme and former employees. The accused is alleged to have threatened employees with dismissal if they refused his advances,” Jere explained.
With the file now reassigned, the trial is expected to proceed as scheduled.
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