A Malawian activist who was arrested near the SADC summit venue in Lilongwe for leading a protest has been granted bail after spending two nights in police custody.
The Nkukula Magistrate Court at Lumbadzi in Lilongwe has granted bail to Namiwa who leads the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI). Ten other CDEDI members have also been granted bail, each with a cash bond of K20,000.
The eleven protesters have been told that they should not hold any demonstrations until the case comes to its conclusion and they should be reporting to Area 30 Police every Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Namiwa led Malawians in protests at Parliament Building where they were demanding Parliament leadership to explain how a K3 billion loan authorization bill found its way on the order paper without approval of cabinet ministers and the Attorney General.
Plain clothed police officers picked Namiwa and threw him into a bus before the vehicle sped away.
Malawi Police has argued that the CDEDI members committed a crime by holding a vigil after their notification to the Lilongwe City Council was rejected by the council.
However, rights activist say the Constitution gives any person in Malawi the right to protest without getting permission from authorities.
