Malawi vice president arrested
MALAWI – Malawi¶s $nti-&orruption %ureau has arrested and charged the country¶s 9ice 3resident Saulos .laus &hilima over graft allegations, it said on )riday, following months of investigation over his conduct.
,n a national address in -une, Malawi¶s 3resident /a]arus &haNwera stripped &hilima of his powers when the watchdog first accused him of corruption.
%ut at the time the president ± who has waged a cracNdown on corruption ± said he had no constitutional authority to suspend or remove the vice president from office. He however barred &hilima from carrying out his duties.
&hilima was taNen to court to face corruption charges, the corruption watchdog said in a statement.
)ootage from local media showed supporters of &hilima and the police seemingly in a scuffle as he was being taNen into court for the formal reading of charges.
³, have no comment to maNe. :e will let the court process run its course,´ &hilima told reporters outside court after being granted bail, according to media.
REWARDED
7he watchdog alleged &hilima was rewarded for assisting ;aviar /imited and Malachitte )=(, two companies connected to %ritish businessman =uneth Sattar to be awarded contracts by the Malawi *overnment.
,t has been investigating Sattar and other public officers in Malawi over alleged plundering of state resources by influencing awarding of contracts through the country¶s public procurement system, it said.
³2n 1ovember , , the $nti-&orruption %ureau $&% arrested 'r. Saulos .laus &hilima« on allegation that between March 1 and 2ctober 1, he received advantage in form of money amounting to 8S'
and other items from =uneth Sattar as a reward«´ the bureau said.
,n $ugust, the )inancial 7imes reported that Sattar was under investigation by %ritain¶s 1ational &rime $gency 1&$ over alleged abuse of Malawi¶s public procurement system. He had not been charged with any offence and denied wrongdoing, the )7 said.
1&$ did not immediately respond to a reTuest for comment on )riday. 5euters could not immediately reach Sattar for comment.
,n -anuary this year, &haNwera dissolved his entire &abinet on charges of corruption against three serving ministers.