BAKILI MULUZI FACES TRIAL
…as ex-Malawi president loses appeal over corruption case
LILONGWE - Former Malawi President, Bakili Muluzi, has lost an appeal which would have led to a corruption case he is facing being discontinued.
The 79-year-old who served two five-year terms as president between 1994 and 2004 stands accused of diverting 1.7 billion Malawi kwacha ($2.4 million) of government money into his personal account during his tenure. He denies the charge.
The case was first brought to court 14 years ago but multiple postponements and disagreements over technicalities have delayed its conclusion.
Muluzi had sought to have the case discontinued by the Supreme Court of Appeal, arguing the section of law used by the graft-busting body contradicted the country’s constitution and infringed on his rights as an accused person.
In Abuja, the head of Nigeria's treasury has been arrested for alleged involvement in fraud and money laundering worth 80 billion naira ($193 million).the national anti-graft agency said.
Ahmed Idris, Nigeria's accountant-general, was arrested on Monday "after failing to honour invitations" to respond to the allegations, it said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Idris "raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates."
The proceeds were invested by Idris in real estate in the capital Abuja and in his home state of Kano in northern Nigeria, it said in a statement.
President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015 on a pledge to end endemic graft.
Under his watch, the EFCC has secured a string of high-profile convictions, including ministers, state governors, senior public servants and prominent political figures.
Last year, the agency said it had recovered $750 million dollars that had been plundered from the nation's coffers.
The government has been accused of targeting the opposition in its anti-corruption drive, an allegation it denies.