Kalindo to spend 3 nights in the cooler
A ctivist Bon Kalindo is expected to spend the weekend in the cooler after he was arrested by police yesterday in Lilongwe for allegedly jumping bail in a 2021 case, where he claimed that he had knowledge of people behind killings of persons with albinism, but could not name them.
Kalindo was at that time arrested and charged with publishing false news likely to cause fear and public alarm before being granted bail.
Yesterday, Kalindo was arrested again by detectives from Area 30 as he was coming out of the Chief Resident Magistrate Court where there was an inter partes hearing of his earlier warrant of arrest issued last month for supposedly not honouring his bail conditions.
His arrest last month was on charges of illegally connecting electricity to his house in Area 25.
In a statement released yesterday, National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya indicated that one of the conditions for Kalindo’s bail in 2021 was that he should be reporting to National Police Headquarters every fortnight and that Kalindo last honoured that condition on April 26 2023.
The statement adds that Kalindo is expected to be taken to court on Monday.
In a written response Kalaya said:” [Kalindo] is now being asked questions. We will inform the public the police station he will be held later.”
Kalindo’s lawyer Stanley Chirwa, however, said the arrest of his client at the court was unprocedural.
Said Chirwa:” But as a matter of procedure, that is not supposed to happen. My client was supposed to be called to court, or to be summoned to show cause because he was on bail in respect of the charge on which the police have obtained another warrant of arrest for him.”
According to Chirwa, the defence yesterday challenged the legality of the warrant issued last month when the matter came before chief resident magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza.
He said after the defence made its preliminary objections, the court pended ruling to October 6 2023.
Early this month, Kalindo also spent a night in the cooler at Nkhunga Police Unit in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota District despite the court nullifying his warrant of arrest.
