The Principal Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe is today expected to rule on whether six men accused of disrupting demonstrations while armed with pangas should be allowed to apply for bail before taking plea or being formally informed of the charges against them.

The defence team has argued that the suspects deserve to be released on bail since the State has not yet provided disclosures. However, the prosecution maintains that the disclosures will be served tomorrow and insists the suspects must first be made aware of the charges before applying for bail.

The court’s ruling will determine whether the suspects can proceed with a bail application ahead of the formal reading of their charges.

Meanwhile, the six suspects have arrived at the court under tight security, with heavily ar

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