Senior Resident Magistrate Felix Kamtsalira has today granted bail to Mzuzu City Mayor and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) senior member Gift Desire Nyirenda who is answering a charge of defilement.
Nyirenda who is Luwinga Ward Councillor was arrested last weekend for allegedly raping his 14-year-old niece.
According to Magistrate Kamtsalira, despite the gravity of the offence which can attract life imprisonment, the accused is not a flight risk as he is someone who is well known in society and has a position.
In his ruling, the Magistrate has been ordered Nyirenda to surrender all travel documents to Mzuzu Regional police office, not to move out of Mzuzu without notifying police, pay 500,000 Kwacha cash bail bond and provide two sureties each bonded at 1,000,000 Kwacha non cash among others.
Nyirenda was arrested on 14th August on suspicion that he defiled a girl below the age of 16.
The court expects to start hearing the case from 2 September 2022.
In his remarks, his lawyer Davie Lameck said the court has granted bail in the interest of justice.
“It’s a very fair ruling and if you were able able to listen to the ruling, the Magistrate before he granted bail he analysed the submissions from both sides, he balanced both submissions at the end and he also justified the reason why he granted bail,” said Lameck.
He added that the court has granted bail in the interest of justice not just to give the bail but after balancing submissions from both the state and the defence.
MCP members, councillors and members of Mzuzu City Council attended the court session.
Councillor Nyirenda is one of the the senior members in the national committee of the ruling Malawi Congress Party and is a board member of Malawi National Youth Council.
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