LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Lilongwe Senior Senior Resident Magistrate Shireen Chirwa on Thursday, April 2, 2020 failed start hearing criminal trial of UTM Party senior member Dr. Jessie Kabwila which the state leveled against her in January this year.
Magistrate Chirwa cancelled the hearing as preventive measure to contain a possible outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in Malawi.
Chirwa told Kabwila’s lawyer Khwima Mchizi that the court wants to concentrate on suspects who are on remand to ease congestion in prison amid COVID-19 scare.
Mchizi that The Maravi Post that the court will set a new date for to defend her client.
The lawyer added that the state was supposed to start parading witnesses on Thursday morning while he was required to begin cross-examining those witnesses.
“The court has deemed it fit to concentrate on criminal matters of people in custody as opposed to cases of people such as Kabwila who are on bail.
“The decision has been made in order to offload prison cells amidst the threat of a possible out break of the coronavirus in the country,” says Mchizi.
The former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislator for Salima North West stormed the court premises with scores UTM party supporters,parents, children and friends to give her moral support.
She therefore addressed the audience by assuring her that was still intact with UTM till the gland alliance with MCP worked out to remove President Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) out of power in the forthcoming fresh presidential elections.
In Criminal Case number 7 of 2020, Kabwila is accused of proposing violence at an assembly, contrary to Section 78(1)(a) of the Penal Code and uttering words to the prejudice of judicial proceedings, contrary to Section 113 (1)(d) of the Penal code.
Kabwila was arrested in January ahead of a Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling which annulled presidential election and ordered a fresh election which will be held on July 2 this year.
She reportedly warned during Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC)’ demos that she would deal with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah and the ConCourt judges if their judgment in the presidential election petition case had favoured the ruling party.
She was however released on bail while pleading not guilty to the charges when she first appeared before the court a few days after her arrest.
