East Bridge has won a High Court battle against the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) over restricted tobacco stocks. According to Nyasa Times, High Court Judge Redson Kapindu in Lilongwe set aside an ACB restriction notice that had prevented Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company from handling tobacco owned by East Bridge. The court ruled that the anti-graft body acted unlawfully by issuing a fresh restriction notice after the initial order expired without first seeking judicial approval. Chimwemwe Kalua, a lawyer representing East Bridge, stated that the ruling allows the company to freely manage the previously locked tobacco.
In a separate criminal matter, police in Kasungu arrested a prison warder for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl. Malawi24 reports that Benson Mbalame, a warder at Kasungu Prison Farm, was taken into custody over the incident, which reportedly occurred in Linyangwa on June 4. Central East Police Region Spokesperson Esther Mkwanda confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspect gave the victim K2,000 to conceal the abuse.
The crime was uncovered when the girl's parents noticed she had difficulty walking, and medical tests subsequently confirmed the defilement, according to Malawi24. The arrest follows a recent pattern of sexual abuse involving minors by figures of authority in the district, following the recent arrests of two local teachers on similar charges.