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Court grants Kalindo bail

Eastern Region chief resident magistrate (CRM) Mzondi Mvula yesterday granted bail to UTM Party director of youth Bon Kalindo.

The court had reserved the ruling on Friday to have enough time to examine the petitions that Kalindo’s lawyer Kondwani Kumitengo made to the court.

Kalindo (front left) captured leaving the court for prison on Friday

Kalindo, who is Mulanje South legislator, was arrested on Thursday, January 10 after being charged with disorderly conduct contrary to Section 153 (1) of the Police Act as well as insulting the President contrary to Section 4 of the Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Act.

In his ruling yesterday, Mvula found that the two objections that the State through Eastern Region Police prosecution officer Christopher Katani made to the court on Friday resisting the bail application were futile.

Katani objected that Kalindo should remain in custody for seven days while the police conducts its investigations on grounds that Kalindo may tamper with the video evidence the police have which was recorded on the day the suspect committed the cited offences at Balaka Police Station.

Secondly, the prosecutor objected to the bail, saying Kalindo may tamper with the State witnesses.

But Mvula said the court found no reason to keep Kalindo in custody because the accused has strong ties with government, saying he is a well-known comedian and legislator.

He highlighted that the police did not give evidence that Kalindo has cyber knowledge which could help him tamper with the cited video if granted bail.

He also added that in the current age, there is no technology which when one deletes a video from one computer then all the computers containing such a video deletes it.

Granting the bail, the court ordered Kalindo to pay a K20 000 cash as a bond and present two sureties who will pay K100 000 each if Kalindo fails to oblige to the bail conditions.

He was also told to surrender his travel documents to the court and that each time he wants to travel abroad, he should apply to the court for approval.

He further told Kalindo not to speak or comment on the matter elsewhere until the matter ends in court.

The court also directed that because the accused committed the offence in the Eastern Region but stays in Blantyre, he should be appearing before the Southern Region Police Headquarters in Blantyre on Monday every fortnight at 10am.

Mvula gave the police seven days from the day of Kalindo’s arrest to Wednesday, January 16 to finish with its investigations on the matter.

He also urged the police to appear before the court on January 17 with filed investigation results and bring forth witnesses.

He also ordered Kalindo to appear before the court on January 17 to respond to the results of the police investigation. Looking excited, during his address to UTM Party followers outside the court, Kalindo thanked them for being with him throughout his detention.

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