Magalasi to spend another weekend at Maula as court session fails to proceed

Former Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority Chief Executive Officer Collins Magalasi will remain in custody at Maula Prison for another weekend after today’s scheduled court session failed to proceed, with the matter now pushed to Monday.

Magalasi has been on remand at Maula since Senior Resident Magistrate Shukrani Kumbani reserved her ruling on his bail application last week. The remand stems from the first charge against him, which relates to alleged cyber spying targeting President Peter Mutharika and other senior government officials.

The State has argued that the extended custody period is necessary to give investigators sufficient time to conclude their inquiries into the matter.

Beyond the cyber spying charge, Magalasi is also facing a fresh set of counts, including money laundering, theft and facilitating fraud, in connection with an alleged K3 billion scheme involving the Public Service Pension Trust Fund. The State contends that these charges are tied to transactions linked to the Amaryllis Hotel.

Speaking after the failed court session, Magalasi’s defence lawyer, Andy Kaonga, said his legal team would consult with their client on how to proceed with the case going forward.

The matter is expected to resume in court on Monday.