A Malawian church leader arrested in connection with the death of a bank employee has been remanded in custody after a magistrates' court ruled that it lacks the power to hear the case. Bishop Medram Chirwa, of the Fountain of Victory Church in Lilongwe, appeared before Mkukula First Grade Magistrate Court over the death of [...]
Nyasa Times News Desk
Nyasa Times Reporter
11h ago · 1 min read
A Malawian church leader arrested in connection with the death of a bank employee has been remanded in custody after a magistrates' court ruled that it lacks the power to hear the case.
Bishop Medram Chirwa, of the Fountain of Victory Church in Lilongwe, appeared before Mkukula First Grade Magistrate Court over the death of Tathokoza Salimu, 31, who worked for FDH Bank in Dowa district.
Police had earlier arrested him in connection with her alleged murder.
Magistrate Kondani Chinangwa said the court had no jurisdiction to hear such a case in the first instance.
He ordered that Mr Chirwa be held at Maula Prison until the High Court begins hearing it.
Ian Ntaba, a police prosecutor in Dowa, said officers took Mr Chirwa to court to comply with the legal requirement that an arrested person be brought before a court within 48 hours.
His lawyer, Joseph Chiume, said he was satisfied that the correct legal procedure had been followed. He said sending his client to Maula was appropriate because the court could not hear the case first.
The case so far
Ms Salimu's body was found on 21 September in a vehicle at Chinkhota Village, near Tatolonga Bridge, on the Dzaleka-Dowa Boma Road.
Dowa Police spokesperson Alice Sitima has said preliminary findings from call logs show that she and Mr Chirwa were together on the day of her death.
Police have said investigations continue and that they are seeking other suspects.
No plea has been taken and no charge has been tested in court.
The remand reflects a procedural limit on the magistrates' court, not a finding on the allegations.
GPGrace Phiri
2h agoFinally some clarity on this. Thanks for the detailed breakdown.
JBJames Banda
1h agoI hope the authorities actually follow through this time.
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