Court grants bail to PP’s Chapitapansi: Denies assaulting Ben Phiri
Blantyre Magistrate court on Tuesday granted bail governing People’s Party (PP) youth director for south Lemani Chapitapansi after he was arrested on allegations that he led a group of assailants who attacked Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) director of field operations Ben Phiri.
Chapitapansi, who was arrested on Monday, appeared in court on Tuesday to be formally charged of assault.
He emphatically denied all charges.
Principal Magistrate Innocent Nedi granted Chapitapansi bail as the State prosecutors did not make an objection against the application of bail.
Chapitapansi has been ordered to be reporting to Blantyre police once in a week and to surrender his travel documents with bail bond of K50,000 cash and one surety of K150,000 non cash as his bail bond.
The PP youth director made no further comment.
Phiri, who is also special assistant to DPP president Peter Mutharika, was assaulted at Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre and was admitted to hospital. He claimed to have lost K200 000 (US$491) in the process.
He alleged that he saw Chapitapansi – formerly a DPP youth leader – as one of his assailants.
Chapitapansi has protested his innocence and pledged to “see this through to the end”.
DPP has been blaming the PP led government that is failing to arrest their youth director for the assault. During the DPP regime two years ago, their rough necks were left scot free even when they attacked political opponents in full view of their leadership and police.
