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| National |
| Makwangwala, Bagus on bail |
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by
George Ntonya, 09 September 2004
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11:37:45
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Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Ken Manda on Wednesday granted bail to UDF secretary general Kennedy Makwangwala, his son and national organising secretary Salim Bagus.
Bagus is accused of tax evasion and was arrested outside the magistrate’s court minutes after Makwangwala and his son Chikondi, 28, were granted bail at around 11AM.
“I am under arrest and will appear in court at 1.30PM,” said Bagus before the police took him away awaiting the court proceedings for his bail application.
Makwangwala and Chikondi were charged with malicious damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Marjorie Ngaunje, who beat Makwangwala in the May 20, 2004 parliamentary election in Ntcheu Bwanje South constituency. They paid K20,000 ($185) each and produced two sureties as part of the bail conditions.
The magistrate also ordered that the accused surrender their travel documents and report to police every Monday until they appear in court for hearing on October 1, 2004.
Maurice Kachimbwinda and John Banda are sureties for Chikondi while Shaban Kadango and Amidu Twalik Baisi are sureties for Makwangwala and will pay K200,000 each if the accused jump bail.
Bagus paid K30,000 cash and committed Charles Daudi and Paul Ndasowa as his sureties with K500,000 (not cash) for each of them. He is charged with removal of goods contrary to provisions of Customs laws on goods under embargo. He is also supposed to surrender his travel documents and report to police every Monday.
He will appear in court on September 28 for hearing of the case.
Makwangwala and Bagus bring to three the number of senior UDF leaders arrested since Bingu wa Mutharika took over government from Bakili Muluzi, who is UDF national chairman. The other one is deputy director of research in the party Humphrey Mvula who was arressted on fraud and corruption charges.
Nearly 50 UDF supporters, including Young Democrats, attended the court proceedings.
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