Faith Nyasuguta
Malawi’s 🇲🇼 Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested ex-police chief George Kainja two days after he was sacked.
He is facing charges tied to a mega $150m corruption scandal involving government contracts.
The president stripped him of his duties on Tuesday after the ACB named him among the 53 current and former officials who had received money from, or helped, British-Malawian businessman Zuneth Sattar between 2017 and 2021. Mr Satter pleaded not guilty to any wrongdoing.
A publicised statement from the ACB said Kainja had been arrested “for receiving advantage” from Satter when he was awarded a contract worth $875,000 to supply 350,000 food rations to the Malawi Police Service.
“The investigations conducted by the bureau established that Dr George Kainja solicited an advantage in the form of a vehicle and $8,000,” the ACB statement said.
Kainja has appeared in court in the capital, Lilongwe, where he denied the charges. He was granted bail at the hearing.
The ACB further arrested Mwabi Kaluba on Thursday. He is an ex-deputy police commissioner accused of corruptly obtaining $20,000 from the British businessman “as an advantage for giving assistance in the procurement contract of the food ration packs”.
Kaluba has not yet appeared in court or commented on the allegations.
