Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba has reserved his ruling to Thursday on whether to commit to the High Court a case involving former Chief Secretary to the Office of President, Lloyd Muhara, former cabinet ministers Charles Mchacha and Symon Vuwa Kaunda as well as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Bright Kumwembe.

Nyimba is also set to give a ruling on the submission by the defence lawyers asking the court to release the four unconditionally on the basis that 14 days have gone since their arrest without a written consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The state made an application to commit the matter to the High Court, an application the defence objected.

The former government officials are suspected to have been involved in the illegal purchase of land by Mchacha, a development which led to their arrest by the Anti Corruption Bureau.