The State has asked for more time up to two weeks in case in which authorities are accusing rights activists Gift Trapence and MacDonald Sembereka of operating a non-governmental organization known as Mango Network illegally.  

The two appeared before the Lilongwe Magistrate Court on Tuesday having being granted court bail by the Chief Resident Magistrate two weeks ago.

Head of Prosecutions at Malawi Police Service (MPS) Nepier Chafikana told YFM that the state made an application for an adjournment to the case because prosecution team is yet to go through the files for the accused persons.

“I have been having busy schedules, and I had the file in the morning, so I have to look into the file and see what charges I can prefer against the two accused persons, that’s why I asked for more time from the court,” said Chafikana.

According to the prosecution team, there is a new member who is running the case and that he needed to fully understand the basis of the trial.

Meanwhile, legal counsel for the accused Khwima Mchizi said as for their part they are not worried with the State`s unpreparedness in the case.

“According to them, they are not ready with the charges against the two accused persons, and we did not object to the swot adjournment and the matter has been now moved to 11 of September, 2019 and that won’t affect us,” Mchizi said.

Recently, UNAIDS released a statement demanding for the release of the two a day after they were apprehended by the police on an outstanding issue with the Mango Network.

According to UNAIDS, they amicably reached a resolution over the issue, and that the international organisation has not engaged in any legal action and believes there is no need for any legal action.