The farmer, Zinyemba Tchale, told the court on Monday that the chief together with his accomplice, Bornface Simon, uprooted his crop on 10 December, last year.

Sub TA Masache pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Police Prosecutor Sargent Emmanuel Namarwa then paraded three witnesses including the farmer to testify against Sub Traditional Authority Masache in a malicious damage offence.

"Your Worship the state is remained with one witness to testify against the chief. I therefore ask for adjournment," said prosecutor Namarwa.

Second Grade Magistrate Joram Zebron then adjourned the case to 11 February this year.

Zodiak understands that when the chief heard that the farmer had sued him some weeks ago, he also went to Ngabu police to claim that his crops had also been uprooted by Tchale.

Police quickly dragged Tchale to Makande court to answer a malicious damage offence. The farmer is currently on court bail there.

This is the second time for Sub TA Masache to be dragged to court after he was once sentenced by the Chikwawa Magistrate’s Court to serve a three-year jail term some years ago for damaging 13 houses of his subjects.

 The Chief was later acquitted by the upper court after staying in jail for six months.