Court refuses bail to UTM woman undressing suspects: Case adjourned to Feb 6

A court in Mangochi has refused bail to two suspected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) thugs who undressed a UTM Party woman on Sunday, leaving her semi-naked, exposing the brutality culture in the ruling party.

The court has refused bail to 28-year-old Adam Masitala and 38-year-old Rajab Assan who answering charges of robbery with violence and insulting the modesty of a woman.

The two suspects will appear in the magistrates’ court again on February 6, 2019 when the hearing starts.

Police said the two are suspected to have undressed 32-year-old Veronica Katanga whose video clip of being undressed went viral, prompting a movement of women politicians from different political parties, Women in Politics, to hold a news  conference to condemn it.

President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday evening also condemned the undressing of the UTM woman, saying as a champion of He-for-She campaign, he could not allow the harassment of women to continue.

In the clip, the men are heard saying that they were undressing her because Mangochi is a go no zone area for UTM, a break-away political party from the ruling DPP whose founder and president is vice president Saulos Chilima.

The man also undressed an aspiring UTM candidate in Mangochi.

The woman, Katanga, has since gone into hiding after the DPP cadres went to her house to forcibly abduct her to an unknown location but she managed to flee.