MA corruption case involving Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima has been transferred from a magistrate’s court in the country’s capital, Lilongwe, to the High Court.
Mr. Chilima has been accused by the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of accepting $280,000 (£230,000) and other items from a British businessman. On all six counts, he claims he did nothing wrong.
Mr. Chilima was arrested in November but later released on bail.
The anti-corruption agency had previously stated that, due to the complexity of the case, it wished to have it transferred to the Malawi High Court’s Financial Crimes Unit.
Chief Resident Magistrate Madalitso Khoswe Chimwaza granted the ACB’s request to transfer the case to the High Court’s Financial and Economic Crimes Division today.
Mr. Chilima is serving his second term as Malawi’s Vice President. He previously held this position under President Peter Mutharika, with whom he had a strained relationship.
He was re-elected vice president in 2020 after forming an electoral alliance with President Lazarus Chakwera that eventually brought Mutharika’s administration down.
The two ran on the promise of “clearing the rubble of corruption,” which is ironic given their actions.
Although the president of Malawi lacks the authority to remove his deputy from office, President Chakwera announced publicly that he would no longer delegate any official duties to Mr. Chilima after the first allegations were leveled against him.
However, the couple has recently been spotted together at various events.
