The government of Malawi has arrested Vice President Saulos Chilima, stripped him of executive powers, and prosecute him for receiving $280,000 bribe from a British-Malawian businessman.
The vice president has been faces several counts of corruption and accepting bribes to influence government contracts.
The spokeswoman of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Malawi, Egrita Mdala, in a statement disclosed: “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 was due to appear in court on Friday afternoon. Officials and supporters from his United Transformation Movement party gathered outside in support.
President Lazarus Chakwera stripped Chilima of his powers in June when details of the alleged graft first emerged.
Malawi’s constitution prohibits the president from sacking the vice president, thus, the president cannot suspend or remove Chilima from office because he is an elected official.
Some ministers and former ministers have 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.