The High Court sitting in Mwanza has discharged Hilaliyo Sinkhani and Francis Wyson from murder charges following a two-year delay in proceedings.

Hilaliyo Sinkhani was arrested on July 19, 2023, on allegations of murdering Nicolas Njela. Francis Wyson was arrested in November 2023 on a separate murder charge. When the two sought legal aid, they were represented in Court by Senior Legal Aid Advocate Chikondi Kasambara.

In the same year, the accused were granted bail with the assistance of counsel from the Bureau. The State has repeatedly failed to prosecute the two cases, citing that the docket was not finalized. They were expected to disclose facts regarding the suspects’ arrests, but no information was presented in Court, with claims that investigations were still ongoing.

The Legal Aid Bureau applied for the accused to be discharged from the cases, stating that it was a waste of time and resources for all parties involved to continue attending Court only to adjourn matters for the same reasons.

High Court Judge Justice Chimwemwe Kamowa has since agreed with the Bureau and discharged the accused. Sinkhani and Wyson are now free men after two years.

Legal Aid Bureau Malawi