Long at last: Chimwendo granted BAIL
Richard Chimwendo Banda, the Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has been granted immediate release from Maula Prison by High Court Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda.
The decision comes after Chimwendo Banda’s lawyer, George Jivason Kadzipatike, filed a judicial review application challenging the state’s detention of him beyond the mandatory statutory remand period.
Judge Nyirenda ruled that the continued detention of Chimwendo Banda was unlawful, unconstitutional, and violated his fundamental rights.
The court also stayed the remand warrant issued by the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court on December 15, 2025, and ordered that any future criminal proceedings against Chimwendo Banda be commenced by way of summons.
Chimwendo Banda was arrested in December 2025 over alleged attempted murder charges and had been held at Maula Prison pending trial.
His release marks a significant development in the case, with the inter-parties hearing scheduled for January 23, 2026.
