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| National |
| Court denies Nyambi bail |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 14 March 2003
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The High Court in Blantyre on Wednesday threw out a bail application by Chief Nyambi arrested a fortnight ago in connection with the murder of Patrick Ingolo last year after he was allegedly caught stealing in the defendant’s garden.
The court instead ordered the state to bring the case for trial before the High Court to sit in Liwonde on April 22 or the suspect must be released on bail.
Nyambi and others are currently remanded at that maximum security prison in Zomba.
Applying for bail, lawyer for the suspects Arthur Makhalira told the court he was convinced Nyambi was arrested for saying during President Muluzi’s rally that it was unfortunate the head of state was visiting his area towards the end of his tenure in office.
“I am convinced he was arrested for uttering the word malecheleche (at the end) during the rally. In actual fact, Chief Nyambi meant to say that Muluzi delayed to visit the area as he had promised he would visit his area early 2002 rather than late 2002 or early 2003,” he said.
Makhalira told the court that according to the available evidence, Chief Nyambi was not involved in the murder of Ingolo, wondering why the police had taken the whole year to revive the murder charges.
“On February 23, 2002 when Chief Nyambi and his wife, Chief Chamba, were brought to Malawi Police Eastern Division headquarters in Zomba for questioning on the same charge. They were both released because there was no evidence,” he said.
But the state told the court that it had overwhelming evidence that Nyambi took part in Ingolo’s murder. State Advocate Primrose Chimwaza told the court that Nyambi and four others beat Ingolo to death after he was found stealing maize in the chief’s garden.
“When Nyambi saw that Ingolo was about to die he ordered boys to take him home,” said Chimwaza.
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