The Chief Resident Magistrate’s court in Lilongwe has given the State 10 days to submit disclosures in a case involving Peoples Land Organisation (PLO) leader, Vincent Wandale.

The matter was supposed to resume on Tuesday for the accused to be formally charged and take plea but failed to proceed because the State is yet to make its submissions.

In a dramatic twist of events, Wandale denied to appear in court physically citing security concerns arguing that he was supposed to be provided with security detail as Head of State of the African Traditionalist Monarchy of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST).

“I am seeing a great security threat over my life to appear before court today as appointed on the notice of hearing because I claim to be Head of State MUST which I claim to be a sovereign state under the law of Nations,” reads Wandale’s three-page letter submitted to the court.

He further argues that he finds the court to have no competence to handle the present matter as a case of self determination as five years have elapsed since MUST declared political independence out of Malawi in the year 2016

Wandale, who is currently on court bail, was initially arrested in 2017 on suspicion of spreading false rumour regarding the declaration of Mulanje and Thyolo as a sovereign State.

The count of spreading false rumour is contrary to section 60 part 1 of the Malawi Penal Code.