The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe on Friday released on bail former Tobacco Commission (TC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kayisi Sadala.

In her determination, Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Chimwaza said the State has failed to demonstrate to court how the release of Sadala would affect investigations that the state wishes to conduct.

The court has further observed that the accused is not a flight risk and cannot interfere with State witnesses in course of the trial.

Magistrate Chimwaza has since ordered Sadala to pay a cash bond of K500, 000, two sureties bonded at K1 million each non-cash, surrender his traveling documents and be reporting to Area 30 Police once every fortnight.

“He has been told not to leave the jurisdiction of this country without the knowledge of the court and he is also supposed to report at National Police Headquarters once every fortnight.

“But the court has directed that the very reason it does not fix this a date is because it’s given the state a chance to get the consent before it comes back here together,” said Khwima Mchizi, one of the defence lawyers.

The court has also directed the State to get consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before proceeding with prosecution.

Police arrested Sadala on Tuesday this week on a suspicion that he abused his office relating to the sale of two institutional houses in 2018.