According to Malawi’s anti-corruption watchdog, Vice President Saulos Chilima has been arrested and charged with graft in connection with a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.
According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the deputy president, who had earlier on been stripped of his powers, has been charged with several counts of corruption and accepting bribes to influence government contracts.
“He received advantage in the form of money amounting to $280,000 and other items from (British-Malawian businessman) Zuneth Sattar,” ACB spokeswoman Egrita Mdala said in a statement, for the latter’s companies to be awarded Malawi government contracts.
Chilima was scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Outside, officials and supporters from his United Transformation Movement party had gathered in support.
Chilima’s powers were stripped by President Lazarus Chakwera in June, when details of the alleged graft first emerged.
However, because Chilima was an elected official, the president could not suspend or remove him, according to Malawi’s constitution.
