Malawi’s ex-Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamveka, along with four other former government officials, was arrested on Monday over allegations of embezzling approximately $250 million from two state-owned enterprises.
The accused include Lloyd Muhara, former Secretary to the President, Cliff Chiunda, former Treasury Secretary, and Collins Magalasi, ex-CEO of Malawi’s Energy Regulatory Authority. They are alleged to have diverted 447.5 billion kwacha ($258 million) from the Salima Sugar Company and the Greenbelt Initiative.
Lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale, representing the suspects, confirmed the arrests.
Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya stated that a 2023 audit of the Salima Sugar Company revealed significant financial mismanagement, leading to the arrests. This follows the earlier apprehension of former Salima director Shierish Betgiri and three others.
“The total number of suspects arrested now stands at nine,” Kalaya said, adding that authorities are still searching for Henry Njoloma, the former acting CEO of the Greenbelt Initiative, who is currently at large.
The detained officials served in senior roles between 2014 and 2020 under former President Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, which was ousted in 2020. The DPP is now Malawi’s main opposition party.
The suspects will appear in court after police complete their investigation.