Principal resident magistrate Roderick Michongwe on Wednesday threw out seven preliminary objections by former president Peter Mutharika’s bodyguard Norman Chisale.
Chisale is answering charges of intimidating public officers and obstructing justice following an exclusive interview he had with Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), through which he attacked minister of justice Titus Mvalo and former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Steve Kayuni on their roles in various cases he is answering.
Through his lawyer Gilbert Khonyongwa, Chisale applied that in some charges, there were no disclosures of actual offences while some were against freedom of expression.
He further applied for a constitutional hearing on grounds that the court has no power to hear the case.
However, Michongwe dismissed the application saying the accused would not in any way be prejudiced or embarrassed when answering the charges and that no count is bad for duplicity arguing each offence is in one count. Michongwe said the counts were well crafted.
Following the ruling, the case will continue this morning with the State parading it’s first witness
