Court has adjourned to March 4 the case in which Chibavi West Ward UTM Councillor Gabriel Mwaungulu was arrested for allegedly using vulgar language on his Facebook page against members of a committee overseeing Covid cash transfer programme activities.
Mwaungulu was arrested on January 30 this year but was rushed to Mzuzu Central Hospital within hours after he collapsed while in police custody.
Mwaungulu was charged for using offensive communication, in line with Section 87 of the Electronic Transaction and Cyber Security Act of 2016.
But, when he appeared in court Monday, Mwaungulu denied the charge levelled against him.
The State, which initially indicated that it would parade three witnesses, was taken by surprise when the witnesses failed to turn up, prompting the prosecution bench to pray for an adjournment of the case.
Lawyer of the accused, George Kadzipatike, said Mwaungulu would remain on bail until hearing restarts.
“The case, which Mzuzu Senior Resident Magistrate Kandulu presided over, has been adjourned to March this year.
Our client has denied the charge levelled against him and he shall remain on bail,” he said.
In a related development, the Kasungu First Grade Magistrate Court on January 30 fined 37-year-old Joseph Nkhoma K350,000 for using offensive communication on his Facebook page.
