Activist Bon Kalindo is expected to remain at Maula Prison until Monday when the Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe will make a ruling on his bail application.
Kalindo, who has been leading demonstrations against the Lazarus Chakwera administration, was arrested on Tuesday this week for illegal electricity connection at a house which he is renting at Area 25 in Lilongwe.
Today, Kalindo was taken to court where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of tampering with electricity equipment as stipulated in the Electricity Act.
The state then asked the court to order that Kalindo should be remanded at prison for a week to allow the state to complete investigations.
According to the state, they are yet to arrest an electrician suspected to committed the offence together with Kalindo.
The state also argued that Kalindo is already on bail for two other cases and remanding him would prevent him from committing other offences.
The state further argued that the charge Kalindo is facing is a serious one as it attracts maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and five million kwacha fine.
But Kalindo through lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa applied for bail saying the activist has been in custody for two days but he has not been provided convincing reason for his continued incarceration.
He added that it would not be in the interest of justice for Kalindo to remain in custody.
Senior Resident Magistrate Florence Msekandiana has since set 31 January as the date for a ruling on the matter.
