JUST IN: Vice President Arrested For Corruption

Malawi’s anti-corruption agency says Vice-President Saulos Chilima accepted money for government contracts.

Accused of getting $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman “and other stuff”

Friday, Dr. Chilima pleaded not guilty to corruption accusations.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau deprived him of his privileges in June.

Vice-President Saulos Chilima came to power in 2020 alongside President Lazarus Chakwera

It accused him and 83 other Malawian officials of corruption with Zuneth Sattar.

Dr. Chilima is facing six accusations, the first time a sitting vice-president has been in this position in Malawi.

Anti-corruption officials questioned him Friday morning in cordoned-off offices. His followers obstructed previous questioning attempts.

His supporters clashed with police as he entered court in Lilongwe on Friday, Reuters reports.

Dr. Chilima’s supporters allege the detention is part of a political witch hunt.

Malawian-born Mr Sattar was arrested in the UK in October and is on bail.

He’s accused of leveraging contacts with Malawian officials and politicians to gain fraudulent contracts.

The contracts involved armoured personnel carriers, food supplies, and water cannons.

Sattar denies wrongdoing.

Dr Chilima was Lazarus Chakwera’s running mate in 2020. They formed a coalition to oppose Peter Mutharika.

The vice-president ran on an anti-corruption platform, pledging to remove government sleaze and poverty in one of the world’s poorest countries.

“Corruption can destroy a nation and its people. Corruption can delegitimize a government “2021 Anti-Corruption Bureau newsletter quotes VP.

Malawi placed 110th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index last year.