High Court to Rule on Chimwendo Banda Bail Application on January 20
Published on January 14, 2026 at 9:33 AM by Edgar Naitha
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda will remain on remand until January 20, 2026, when the High Court is expected to rule on his bail application in a case in which he is accused of attempted murder.
A notice issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court sitting in Lilongwe states that the ruling will be delivered in open court, contrary to earlier indications that it would be issued via email.
“Take notice that the ruling on the application herein shall be delivered on the 20th day of January 2026 at 10:00 o’clock in the forenoon before the Judge in open court,” reads the notice.
Chimwendo Banda was arrested on December 12, 2025, on the same day as former Cabinet minister Vitumbiko Mumba, a development the MCP described as political persecution by the then Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
Banda is accused of attempting to murder Frank Chawanda in February 2021. He has been on remand at Maula Prison in Lilongwe since December 29, 2025, after being discharged from hospital.
The January 20 ruling will determine whether Chimwendo Banda will be released on bail or remain in custody as the case proceeds.
