The High Court in Zomba has dismissed an application by Senior Chief Malemia’s lawyer, Patrick Debwe, seeking bail for the traditional leader and a DNA test in a case in which he is accused of having sexual relations with a minor and assisting in the termination of a pregnancy.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Texious Masoamphambe said the defence had argued that Malawian law allows suspects to be released on bail and that the chief has strong ties to Zomba, where his family and property are based. The defence also noted that the chief voluntarily handed himself over to police, suggesting he was unlikely to abscond.

Debwe further requested that a DNA test be conducted to determine whether the pregnancy at the centre of the case belonged to the chief.

However, Justice Masoamphambe ruled that the charges facing the chief are serious and that the case had already reached an advanced stage before the magistrate’s court. He added that public confidence in the justice system must be maintained.

The judge has since referred the matter back to the Zomba Magistrate’s Court, where Magistrate Elijah Daniels will continue hearing the case and the chief’s defence.

State prosecutors Naarai Longwe and Abdul Limbe welcomed the ruling, while Debwe said he is prepared to continue representing the chief as the case proceeds.

At least four witnesses have so far testified in a case involving actor  Tumpe Mtaya, also known as Phwedo, who is accused of having sexual relations with a minor.

Lawyer for the accused, Khwima Mchizi, told Times that the witnesses who have already testified include the girl’s mother, father, and the alleged victim herself.

Mchizi said the case will return to court on June 4, when the State is expected to bring additional witnesses.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, Frank Namangale, has dismissed claims that the case is taking too long, saying court cases follow several legal procedures before they are concluded.

The High Court in Lilongwe has adjourned the case involving Amos Katengeza and Egnat Katengeza to June 4, 2026, when the two are expected to indicate whether they will plead guilty or not guilty to the charges against them.

The two are suspected to be connected to the death of their relative, Agness Katengeza, who was found murdered in Lilongwe on September 24, 2023.

Bruno Kalemba adjourned the matter after defence lawyer Khumbo Soko asked the court for more time, arguing that the prosecution failed to provide case documents to the defence within a reasonable period.

Soko told the court that he, together with lawyer Kavu Kaphwiti Banda, who is representing one of the suspects, only received the documents on Tuesday morning and needed time to review them.

Meanwhile, senior state advocate Dzikondianthu Malunda told the court that the documents were submitted late because they had also been received late from the Legal Aid Bureau.

A case involving John Kauta, whose dogs are suspected to have killed a security guard in Zomba, has been temporarily suspended after being transferred from the Magistrate’s Court to the High Court.

The dogs are alleged to have killed 41-year-old Clement Lihuta in the Old Naisi area during the night of May 4 and 5 this year.

State prosecutors told the Zomba Magistrate’s Court that the two charges facing Kauta  criminal negligence and manslaughter  fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Presiding magistrate Elijah Daniels agreed with the State’s submission and ordered that the matter be moved to the High Court for further hearing.

The late Lihuta came from Mc-Moles Village under Senior Chief Mwambo in Zomba District.

The High Court in Lilongwe says it will continue hearing the case involving Phillip Malenga, who is accused of murdering, robbing and raping Memory Kamange.

Malenga is suspected to have committed the offences on February 11 this year at Botanic Gardens in Area 18, Lilongwe.

Presiding judge Kondwani Banda formally charged Malenga with three offences  murder, rape and robbery. However, the accused denied all the charges.

State prosecutor Dzikondianthu Malunda told the court that the suspect has no mental or health complications affecting the case and that the State is prepared to parade eight witnesses to testify.

The defence team did not make any submissions during the session.

The court has since scheduled June 2, 2026, as the date when State witnesses are expected to begin giving evidence in the case.

The Second Grade Magistrate’s Court sitting at Matenje in Kasungu District has ordered Fresher Hara to pay a fine of K2.8 million after being found guilty of committing adultery with another man’s wife.

The court heard that Hara engaged in a sexual relationship with the wife of Vincent Bosi Phiri in February this year in the area of Traditional Authority Chulu, an act that contributed to the breakdown of the couple’s marriage.

Second Grade Magistrate David Mumbuwa ruled that Hara was guilty of interfering with a lawful marriage. He was ordered to pay K1 million immediately, with the remaining balance to be paid in monthly installments of K180,000 over a period of ten months.

The court also found the woman guilty of adultery and ordered her to pay K300,000 in compensation to her husband, Phiri.

Meanwhile, the court has officially dissolved the marriage between Phiri and his wife following a request by the husband.

The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court has begun hearing a case involving Vanessa Chimbayo also known as Elies Johny, who is accused of defaming her domestic worker after posting a viral video on social media.

Chimbayo is alleged to have recorded and shared a video showing her in a heated verbal exchange with her housemaid, Cecilia Davison, last month. In the widely circulated clip, she reportedly captioned the video with the words “Stay Away from this Witch,” an allegation prosecutors say amounted to publicly humiliating and defaming the worker.

The case opened at the Magistrate’s Court in Blantyre on Thursday, where Chimbayo pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court has since adjourned the matter to 9 March for further hearing.

Meanwhile, Dominic Makawa, Executive Director of the Domestic and Vulnerable Workers Association, said the organization is considering joining the case as an interested party. He noted that their involvement is currently pending approval from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The case has sparked debate on social media about the treatment and protection of domestic workers in Malawi, as the court process continues.

Source: Times360Malawi

A 55-year-old woman from Balaka has narrowly escaped a 15-month stint behind bars after paying a K750,000 fine for being found in possession of a special delivery from South Africa a pistol and seven rounds of ammunition.

The convict, Rhoda Amos, of Lupanga Village, Traditional Authority Nsamala, appeared before the Balaka First Grade Magistrate’s Court following her arrest on New Year’s Day, 2026.

The court heard through State Prosecutor Superintendent Bodwin Msukwa that police acted on a tip-off from “well-wishers” who led them to Rhoda’s house. During the search, detectives uncovered a pistol and seven bullets wrapped in a plastic “jumbo” and hidden inside a sack bag.

Upon interrogation, the woman dropped a bombshell: the lethal cargo wasn’t hers. She told police the firearm was sent by her 35-year-old son, Amos Poison, who is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa. To beat border security, the weapon was reportedly smuggled into Malawi hidden inside a subwoofer.

Rhoda pleaded guilty to the charge of being found in possession of a firearm without a permit or license.

In his ruling, First Grade Magistrate Augustine Mizaya noted the dangerous nature of the offense.

“The weapon is offensive and a threat to the community,” the Magistrate stated, agreeing with the state that a stiff sentence was necessary to deter others. He ordered her to pay a fine of K750,000 or serve 15 months imprisonment with hard labor.

By the end of the day, the 55-year-old managed to settle the fine, securing her freedom, though her son—the sender of the “musical” pistol—remains in the Rainbow Nation.

Former Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma is expected to appear before the Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Blantyre this morning to answer charges including abuse of office and attempted extortion.

Ching’oma, who has been added as the third accused person in the matter, will appear alongside former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ackis Muwanga and former Crimes Superintendent Loudon Nthinda.

The three are facing charges stemming from alleged misconduct while they were holding public office. Details of the specific allegations are expected to be outlined when the matter is called in court.

The case is part of a wider crackdown on alleged abuse of authority by former senior government and police officials.

The First Grade Magistrate Court in Liwonde, Machinga, has found an elderly couple not guilty of charges involving the alleged possession of a child’s umbilical cord.

According to a statement by the Malawi Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) on their Facebook page, the couple identified as 73-year-old Beston Liwonde and 69-year-old Roseby Kennedy were arrested on May 26, 2024. Their arrest followed statements from other suspects previously detained in connection with the case, who claimed to have obtained the body part from the couple.

In his ruling, First Grade Magistrate Maxwell Boaz noted that while the couple are traditional healers, the prosecution failed to provide evidence proving they were found in possession of the child’s umbilical cord. Consequently, the magistrate ordered their immediate release, declaring them innocent of the charges.

The couple hails from Kawelama Village in Machinga District.

Source: Legal Aid Bureau 

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has announced a bold move to challenge the High Court’s decision that set Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General, Richard Chimwendo Banda, free.

In a statement shared on  Ministry of Justice’s Facebook page, the DPP is heading back to court to appeal the ruling delivered by Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda on Wednesday. The State is reportedly dissatisfied with the “unconditional” nature of the release, which saw the MCP strongman walk out of Maula Prison after a month in custody.

The legal drama follows a successful application by Chimwendo’s lawyer, George Jivason Kadzipatike, who argued that his client was being held illegally past the 30-day remand limit. While Justice Nyirenda agreed and ordered Chimwendo’s immediate release, the DPP is now moving to stay that order.

As it stands, Chimwendo Banda remains free, but the DPP’s appeal adds a fresh layer of tension ahead of the scheduled inter-party hearing on January 23, 2026. The State is expected to argue that the gravity of the attempted murder charges outweighs the procedural delays cited by the defense.

Chinese national Lin Yunhua, who is serving a prison sentence for wildlife crime and money laundering, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of corruption and abuse of public office before the High Court in Lilongwe.

The case is being heard by High Court Judge Redson Kapindu.

On two counts of corrupt practices with public officers, the state alleges that in 2019, while Lin was on remand at Maula Prison, he corruptly offered K30 million and promised to complete the construction of a house for the then Officer-in-Charge of the prison, Aaron Ganyavu Kaunda.

According to the prosecution, the alleged inducement was meant to influence Kaunda to engage then Chief Resident Magistrate Violet Chipao to secure Lin a lighter sentence in a wildlife and money laundering case that was before her.

Lin is also facing five counts of abuse of public office, in which it is alleged that between 2022 and 2023, while serving a 14-year prison sentence, he persuaded prison officials at Maula Prison to allow him to leave custody on several occasions.

The court heard that Lin allegedly visited various locations including his residence in Area 9, Biwi, Kanengo, and Bunda, all within Lilongwe, without lawful authority.

Judge Kapindu has since adjourned the matter to tomorrow, when he is expected to deliver a ruling on the direction the case will take.

The First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Chiradzulu has sentenced Yamikani Mapapa to 10 years’ imprisonment after finding him guilty of stealing two medical diagnostic machines and K63 million from Chiradzulu District Hospital.

Mapapa was arrested in December last year following the disappearance of the machines between August and November.

The court heard that Mapapa sold the stolen machines for K5.3 million to a trader identified as Goba of Bangwe, in order to settle a personal debt of K5 million.

State prosecutor Peter Piringu told the court that although Mapapa pleaded guilty, he deserved a stiff sentence because he failed to safeguard government property and endangered the lives of many patients who depend on services at the hospital.

Delivering the ruling, First Grade Magistrate Smart Maruwasa sentenced Mapapa to five years’ imprisonment on each count, ordering that the sentences run consecutively, bringing the total jail term to 10 years.