Joe Gwaladi pleads not guilty
Musician Joe Gwaladi has pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement.
Gwaladi appeared in court on Thursday after being arrested for allegedly defiling a 14-year old girl in Phalombe on Tuesday.
The musician, famed for his track ‘Tumbocid’ among others, was arrested on Wednesday by Phalombe Police following the incident.
Phalombe Police spokesperson Augustus Nkhwazi confirmed the incident Thursday saying Gwaladi defiled the girl on the night of Tuesday but he said he pleaded not guilty in court.
Nkhwazi said the case will come back to court on June 2.
“What happened is that this girl who hails from Manjalende in the area of Traditional Authority Nkhumba had gone to the market at Mlomba and upon her return she stopped at a shop which belongs to Mr Joe Gwaladi. The girl started chatting with Gwaladi’s wife until late,” Nkhwazi said.
Seeing that it was dark, Gwaladi’s wife asked the girl to sleep over and leave the following day and she was given accommodation.
“It was thus in the middle of the night that Gwaladi woke up and defiled the girl, who reported the issue to his wife the same night.
“In the morning when the girl went home, she reported the issue to her parents who took the matter to Mulomba Police,” said Nkhwazi.
He said Mulomba Police reported the matter to Phalombe Police before later arresting the musician who was billed to perform at an event in Chileka tomorrow.
“The girl was taken to Phalombe Health Centre where upon tests it was confirmed that she had been defiled,” said Nkhwazi.
The Phalombe Police spokesperson said the 22- year old musician, who hails from Mulanje in the area of Traditional Authority Mkanda, is answer charges of defilement contrary to section 138 of the Penal Code.
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