Court adjourns ATM cards women case

A court in Lilongwe has adjourned to a later date a case involving five women who were arrested at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe with 338 ATM cards.

The women were arrested as they were about to board a plane to Dubai in what state prosecutors believe the UTM cards, which they wanted to use as visa cards outside the country, were used to externalise money illegally.

The suspects appeared before the Lilongwe resident magistrate Wongani Nyirenda on Thursday.

When the court reconvened on Thursday, the state was supposed to parade two witnesses but the defence pleaded with the court to adjourn the case.

During the court session, defence lawyer  Oscar Taulo appealed to the court to merge the case with the one being handled by Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe.

Taulo also made an application for the court to release the travel documents of the third accused person saying she intends to travel for business purposes.

Magistrate Wongani Nyirenda told the defence to put the applications in writing before adjourning the case to a later date to give time for the defence to prepare.

The five accused women are Selina Mkandawire 39, Fatima Dziko 35, Diness Mpande 66, Hanifa Osman 33 and Angela Mpande 36.