Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), has arrested the Vice-President, Saulos Chilima, over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau said Chilima, who has been stripped of his powers, is charged with several counts of corruption and taking of bribes to influence government contracts.
According to a statement by the ACB’s spokesperson, Egrita Mdala; “He received advantage in the form of money amounting to $280,000 and other items from (British-Malawian businessman) Zuneth Sattar, for the latter’s companies to be awarded Malawi government contracts.’’
Chilima is due to appear in Court on Friday afternoon. Officials and supporters from his United Transformation Movement party have gathered outside in support.
It was reported that President Lazarus Chakwera, had stripped Chilima of his powers in June, when details of the alleged graft first emerged.
According to Malawi’s constitution, the President cannot suspend or remove Chilima because he was an elected official.
Several Ministers and former Ministers have already been arrested in connection with the case, in which 53 public officials have been accused of receiving money from Sattar between March and October 2021.
Chilima partnered with Chakwera to win the 2020 presidential election re-run, sweeping to victory on an anti-corruption platform.
He had also joined Chakwera in challenging fraudulent elections in 2019, which led to a court-sanctioned poll the following year in which Chakwera defeated former leader Peter Mutharika.