Lawyers at the court today
The Mzuzu High Court has this afternoon granted bail to Tadikira Mafubza, the stepson of former head of state Peter Mutharika.
Lawyer for the accused Gilbert Khonyongwa and the state submitted to the court grounds of their bail application earlier in the day.
Khonyongwa prayed for his client to be released saying he is a Malawian and a family man with a permanent place of residence.
He further said Mafubza has permanent employment with Roads Authority as well as firm roots in society which means he will attend trial once the state is done with investigation and the matter is ready to commence.
He said since the state made it clear that it will commence the case once other two suspects who are currently at large have been arrested, further detaining Mafubza will be as good as subjecting him to a pre trial punishment.
Dzikondianthu Malunda, counsel for the state, did not oppose the application but still prayed for stringent bail conditions .
And delivering the ruling, Judge Gladys Gondwe agreed with the applicant and has thus granted bail on condition that the accused produce a cash bond of two million kwacha,
Mafubza has also been told to produce two sureties to be bonded at 5 million kwacha each and to be reporting to police once a fortnight, surrender his travel documents and not to contact any of the prospective state witnesses.
Mafubza is answering the charges of murder and human trafficking alongside four other suspects namely David Luhanga, Thomas Gidson, Samuel Navaya and Duncan Kalulu.
Police alleged that Mafubza’s vehicle was used to transport migrants whose bodies were found buries in a mass grave in Mzimba in October last year.
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