DPP councillor granted bail
The Magistrates’ Court in Blantyre Thursday granted bail to Isaac Jomo Osman also known as Ntopwa 1 when he appeared before the court. July 24 has since been set as the date when hearing of the case will commence.
The Democratic Progressive Party Ward Councillor for Mthandizi Ward is answering charges of malicious damage and theft crimes which are suspected to have been committed on May 25 last year.
Among the bail conditions, Osman has been ordered to pay a cash bond of K200,000 and surrender all his travel documents to police.
He is also supposed to be reporting to Southern Region Police Headquarters offices every Monday and inform the police every time he intends to travel outside Blantyre.
Southern Region Police Prosecutor, Bright Sanudi, said the state is ready to parade two witnesses stressing that “bail is not the end of the case”.
Osman’s lawyer, Joseph Lihoma, described the bail as good news for his client.
He said he was ready to enter into defence when the case commences on the set date.
Asked if he was satisfied with the conditions of the bail, Lihoma explained: “Usually, the conditions are assessed by the court so it is always at the discretion of the court; we cannot say we are not happy, but I think they are quite fair.”
Jomo is suspected to have committed the crimes at the residence of an independent Member of Parliament, Orphan Shawa who on the said day was celebrating his victory after winning the seat of Member of Parliament.
It is alleged that the suspect in the company of other men damaged three car windscreens while five phones were stolen on the same day.
Mathews Kasanda is a journalist who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Malawi (The Polytechnic).
In 2015, Media Institute of Southern Africa awarded him the Best Print Media Education Journalist of the Year accolade.
He joined Times Group Newsroom in September 2019.
