Men suspected of stealing K86m soya get bail
The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court on Friday granted bail to two people suspected to have stolen K86 million worth soya belonging to Export Trading Company.
The two, identified as Mario Rosha, 42, and Kharid Karim, 48, were arrested on June 12 2016 after Export Trading lodged a complaint that they had been collecting soya from the company’s Central Region branches which they later sold to the same company at K86 million.
Lawyer representing the two, Lughano Mwabutwa, applied for bail after the State had formally charged them with five counts of theft, an offence which is contrary to Section 278 of the Penal Code.
State prosecutor Cecilia Zangazanga told the court that the two should not be granted bail. She said the State has six witnesses whom it shall parade.
“The case involves huge sums of money,” she said.
Mwabutwa argued that the two deserved bail as it is their constitutional right.
In his ruling, senior resident magistrate Benjamin Chulu granted bail to the two with K500 000 cash bond and K3 million non-cash bond. They were also ordered to surrender their travel documents, report to police every fortnight and obtain leave each time they travel outside Lilongwe.
The case has since been adjourned to July 7 2016 when the State is expected to parade its witnesses.
