Malawi Supreme Court to hear Chisale’s application to stop further arrests on 17 August

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)–The Supreme Court of Appeal has adjourned hearing on application by Norman Chisale’s lawyer for a stay order and injunction against the conduct of police, to Monday 17 August.

In an interview with journalists on Wednesday, lead lawyer for Chisale, Chancy Gondwe, said the state is not ready and needs more sworn statements before proceeding with the hearing of the application.

Lawyers for Chisale were today expected to ask the Supreme Court of Appeal to grant them an injunction and stay order to stop the Malawi Police Service from effecting any  further arrests on their client.  

This comes after the High Court Judge  Charles Mkandawire in Lilongwe granted them permission for Judicial Review on 31 July, 2020.

Gondwe said Mkandawire declined to grant the Interlocutory injunction and the stay orders against the conduct of the Malawi Police Service in multiple, consecutive and endless arrests.

The security aide for former president Peter Mutharika is facing a litany of charges and on two occasions was rearrested soon after just been granted bail by the court.

Gondwe said: “We renewed the application for the injunction and the Stay Order before a single member of the Supreme Court of Appeal on Sunday who directed that the Application should come inter- parties today this morning at 11 am.” 

The appeal will be heard before Justice Frank Kapanda.

Chisale has been arrested three times on charges of importing cement duty free using Mutharika’s privileges of duty free imports, murder of former director at Anti-Corruption Bureau and attempted murder of a woman in Blantyre.

Chisale is currently on remand at Maula prison.

Maneno Chimulala

I am a journalist, educator, and activist with passion for telling stories about social justice, sports and political issues. I graduated from Mzuzu University. I started my career at the Maravi Post online publication in 2012 as an intern while in college. Upon graduating from Mzuzu University I was offered a job as Sports Reporter because of my background as a goalkeeper and rose to the position of sub editor. I also had a short stint with Nyasatimes, Malawi Punch and Malawi Digest. Over the past seven years, I have worked intimately with rural organizations and communities in Malawi on human rights, girl child education and grassroots development projects. With an academic background in education, I also volunteer as male champion for girls’ education under Girls Empowerment Networks (GENET) in Malawi’s South West Education Division (SWED).