Malawi court deny bail to suspected child traffickers
The Karonga First Grade Magistrate’s Court has denied bail two suspected child traffickers who were arrested over the weekend for allegedly tracking 26 Muslim students under the pretext of taking them for training to Zanzibar in Tanzania.
During the proceedings, lawyer George Jivason Kadzipatike representing the suspsects asked the court to give bail to his clients Mustafa Ndelemani owner of Estcourse Islamic primarily school in Mangochi and Abdul Mallick Audrey who was taking the pupils to a Madrassa in Zanzibar, saying they have a right to be granted a bail.
Kadzipatike argued that the suspects, who are yet to make a plea, have valid travel documents contrary to earlier police reports that they use one photocopied document.
But the prosecution team argued that the bail will interfere with investigations which are currently underway and asked the court to give them two weeks before the suspects are given bail.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to Friday 10 May for further hearing on bail application.
Officer in charge for the Karonga police station Foster Mangani said the suspects took 20 girls and six boys claiming that they were going to Zanzibar for training that will be conducted for three months but they did not have reliable travel documents.
“Imagine 28 people are using one immigration travel document which has been just photocopied but belongs to Abdul Mallick Audrey and they have a document from Balaka District Council allowing the man to travel with the children but the pupils are from Mangochi,” wondered Mangani.
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