By Draxon Maloya
Diplomatic officials from the Indian High Commission to Malawi in Lilongwe have opened talks with Capital Hill on the 67 Indians nationals were arrested last week for working in the country without work permits.
Sources at the High Commission said there was a high level meeting between the government and the High Commission officials last week immeduately after the arrest.
“The talks are still going on despite the matter is in court,” said our source at the High Commission.
The Lilongwe Resident Magistrate’s court was expected to rule on the bail application for the suspects on Monday.
The foreign workers were arrested by Home Affairs officials on allegations that they did not have working permits.
Defense lawyer Joseph Chiumia accused the government of double standards, saying the same government invited the Indian workers, saying it even chartered a plane for them because commercial flights were grounded due to the covid-19 pandemic but now the same government was deporting them.
But state lawyer Binwell Kachingwe said “the fact that the suspects did not have work permits is proof enough that they were illegally working in the country”
However the state maintained that it is a normal practice to have foreigners work without work permits while the permits are being processed.
Meanwhile, all the 67 have since been released on bail after spending almost five nights at Maula prison.