Liwonde Magistrate court in Machinga on Monday denied bail councillor Alexander Cosmas Nkhoma who is answering theft charges.

Nkhoma, Councillor for Mlomba Ward, was arrested by officers from Liwonde Police Station after allegedly diverting 588 bags of maize meant for Cyclone Freddy survivors.

First Grade Magistrate Chrispine Chauluka said the councilor was denied bail because he failed to observe bail conditions for another police case in 2020.

According to Magistrate Chauluka, in 2020 Nkhoma was ordered to appear before the court as a bail condition but he never did that hence denying him bail in the current case.

A report by Machinga Police Public Relations Officer, Ngwashape Msume, shows that Police recovered 513 bags at Namwera in Mangochi district where Nkhoma was attempting to sell and 66 bags were found in the truck while nine are yet to be recovered.

On April 3, 2023 the suspect appeared before court where he was formally charged with theft contrary to Section 278 of the penal code.