The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court on Wednesday faulted the State for defying court orders in a case involving Jessie Kabwila and former Trade Minister Vitumbiko Mumba, warning that continued non-compliance would not be tolerated.
Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe issued the rebuke after the prosecution failed to provide disclosure documents required for plea taking in the matter, despite earlier court directives.
Kondowe reminded the State that it had been ordered on 15 December last year to serve the defence with disclosures, stressing that disregard of court orders undermines the administration of justice.
The court was informed that the State was still not ready to proceed, prompting concerns over repeated delays in a case that has kept the accused on restrictive bail conditions.
Defence lawyer Khwima Mchizi told the court that the prosecution’s failure to disclose documents had long signalled its unpreparedness, adding that bail should not become punitive where the State is inactive.
He argued that accused persons remain under restricted liberty while on bail and deserve better options when the prosecution neglects to move a case forward.
Kondowe ordered the State to serve all disclosures by 10 February 2026 as Kabwila and Mumba continue answering a charge of publishing false news likely to cause alarm to the public, linked to statements made ahead of the 2025 general election results.
