Ex-president wanted over ‘money laundering’
Malawi has issued an arrest warrant for its former President Joyce Banda over alleged abuse of office and money laundering offences over a two-year period when she was in office, a police spokesman said on Monday.
Banda’s spokesman denied any wrongdoing.
The alleged offences were part of a wider corruption scandal uncovered in 2013, in which senior government office siphoned millions of dollars from state coffers, national police spokesman James Kadadzera said.
Investigations by the police “unearthed credible evidence” against Banda, he said.
“The evidence gathered raises reasonable suspicion that the former President committed offences related to abuse of office and money laundering. The warrant of arrest is in force and necessary legal formalities are being pursued,” Kadadzera said in a statement.
Banda, who was Malawi’s president for two years from 2012, left the country when she lost in elections to Peter Mutharika and has not returned since 2014.