State says Manondo is a flight risk
The State has objected to the release on bail of Pika Manondo, one of the suspects in the attempted murder of Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo.
Manondo has been in custody since November 8 2013 and has been remanded at Kasungu Prison even before he applied for bail.
He did not appear before High Court Judge Ivy Kamanga for his bail application yesterday, but lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa, who stood in for John-Gift Mwakhwawa, applied for bail on his behalf.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Bruno Kalemba said Manondo could not be trusted to remain in the country for trial when he had fled the country just a day after Mphwiyo was shot.
He said every suspect deserved bail, but not when there was a possibility that the person would not be able to honour the bail conditions.
In an interview later, Khonyongwa said he argued that other suspects who were charged with a similar offence of attempted murder had been granted bail, among them Dauka Manondo, Robert Kadzuwa and Macdonald Kumwembe.
He also argued that Manondo would not leave the country when granted bail because he had handed himself over to police upon hearing that he was a wanted man.
The High Court in Lilongwe has reserved ruling on the bail application to next Thursday.
Although Manondo did not appear in court for his bail application, he remains on remand at Kasungu prison.
