By Chisomo Phiri
The Lilongwe Principal Resident Magistrate Court has announced that it will deliver its ruling on Friday July 26,2024, regarding whether to grant bail to Chiyanjano Mbeza,30, who was arrested on cybercrime-related charges.
According to state representative Charles Panyani, the Malawi Police Service(MPS) on Wednesday brought the accused to court, who is facing charges including using his studio to record and publish false content on various online websites. Panyani stated that Mbeza was arrested for spreading false information that may disturb national peace and security.
The force information allegedly named some individuals as being behind the plane crash that claimed the lives of nine people, including the late Vice President Saulos Chilima.
Panyani added that the police suspect other individuals are involved in this matter, and if the accused is released on bail, he may interfere with ongoing investigation proceedings.
The police confiscated some studio materials, with investigations currently at 80%.
Panyani indicated that the police may take at least seven days to finalize investigations.
The defense team, led by Gilbert Khonyongwa, expressed concerns about the police tendency to arrest individuals before completing investigations.
The accused will spend a day in custody pending the bail ruling.
He hails from Kazombo Village in the area of Traditional Authority(T/A) Nkhumba in Phalombe District.
