Malawi: Chimwendo Spends First Night At Maula Prison As Court Denies Freedom

30 December 2025
Nyasa Times (Leeds)

Senior Malawi Congress Party (MCP) official Richard Chimwendo Banda has spent his first night at Maula Prison after a court ordered that he be remanded in custody pending a ruling on his bail application in a serious attempted murder case.

Banda, the MCP's Secretary General, was taken to Maula Prison to await the court's decision, marking a dramatic fall from political power to prison remand as the criminal proceedings against him continue.

His lawyer, George Jivasoni Kadzipatike, confirmed to Nyasatimes that although Banda had been receiving medical treatment after falling ill while in police custody, he was discharged from hospital and handed over to prison authorities.

The development follows a court order issued weeks ago directing that Chimwendo Banda be remanded in prison as the case progresses, rejecting any special treatment despite his senior political standing.

The charges he faces are grave, and the court's decision sends a blunt message: political rank does not place anyone above the law. As the legal process unfolds, Chimwendo Banda will remain behind bars at Maula Prison, awaiting the court's determination on whether he deserves temporary freedom--or continued incarceration.

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