Ex-Malawi leader on theft charges

[BAK]

Ex-Malawi leader on theft charges
BBC News Online​

Bakili Muluzi's supporters say the case is politically motivated ahead of polls

Ex-Malawian President Bakili Muluzi has been arrested, accused of stealing $11m (£7.7m) in donor money, says the country's Anti-Corruption Bureau.​

The ACB said Mr Muluzi had been charged on 80 counts of allegedly siphoning aid cash into his private account.

The former president is due to appear at a court in Blantyre, where hundreds of his supporters have gathered.

Mr Muluzi, a candidate in May polls, denies any wrongdoing and has disputed the legality of the ACB investigation.

The BBC's Raphael Tenthani in Blantyre says the ex-president was arrested after appearing at the anti-graft bureau on Thursday morning to answer the allegations against him.

'Right to remain silent'

He says around 50 armed police and nearly 1,000 supporters of Mr Muluzi, who is not in custody, have gathered outside the magistrates' court in the city.

I think the political stratagem is fairly obvious

Muluzi faces moving on

The former president's lawyer Jai Banda told AFP news agency his client had "exercised his right to remain silent" when questioned by the ACB.

Mr Muluzi, who ruled the poor southern African nation from 1994 to 2004, was first arrested over the allegations in 2006 but the then-director of public prosecutions threw out the charges.

His supporters say the case is politically-motivated to stop him standing in the forthcoming presidential election.

The inquiry comes amid concern that violence could flare before the forthcoming presidential election.

The former presidents of Mozambique, Joacquim Chissano, and Ghana, John Kufuor, were in Malawi on Wednesday to try to calm tensions.

Henry Mvula, Mr Muluzi's aide, earlier told the BBC's Network Africa programme the former Malawian president had nothing to hide and dismissed the case as a witch-hunt.

He said it was "meant to keep someone so busy within the context of the courtroom" in a "typical African way of running away from competition".

Malawi political analyst Rafiq Hajat told Network Africa: "If a court case is initiated against a candidate, their candidacy is immediately put into doubt. I think the political stratagem is fairly obvious."

Opposition United Democratic Front leader Mr Muluzi plans to stand in May against current head of state, Bingu wa Mutharika.

Mr Mutharika was Mr Muluzi's hand-picked successor but soon after he was elected, the pair fell out and Mr Mutharika formed his own party.

 

[Mwazange]

Na bado utakuja kusikia EX-Tanzania leader on theft charges pia......muda si mrefu...."Within Our Life Time".

 

[Kafara]

tangu hiyo 2006 bw. muluzi alipokamatwa na kuachiwa
hao acb walikuwa wanangoja nini? hata kama kweli
muluzi alikuwa fisadi hii timing inawapa wapambe wa
muluzi sababu ya kuhusishwa huko kukamatwa na masuala
ya kisiasa (uchaguzi)

hivi bwana mbingu wa mutharika ameisharudi ikulu? kwani
awali aliikimbia/alihama kwa madai ilikuwa imefanyiwa
mazingaombwe (imelogwa).

 

[MzalendoHalisi]

Rushwa Viongozi Afrika...yaani Muluzi anasema anaonewa eti asigombee uraisi!

Na watu wa kabila lake wanamuunga mkono!

Arudishe kwanza hizo pesa!

 

[Mfumwa]

"Ukiona mwenzako ananyolewa, nawe tia maji", Bakili wa Muluzi utasumbuliwa sana unapoutaka tena uRais, japo kunaweza kuwa kuna ukweli katika mashitaka yako. Ila Afrika tunatafutana zaidi karibia na uchaguzi. Kumbuka yaliyompata Mzee wa kitambaa cheupe (Kenneth Kaunda) alipotaka kugombea tena uRais, aliishia kuwekwa ndani kama si juhudi za Mwalimu Nyerere kwenda kumuombea atolewe na kumshauri aachane na wazo la kugombea tena, jamaa (Kaunda) hatujui wangemfikisha wapi.

 

[Pdidy]

Rais wa Malawi akamatwa kwa wizi wa dola milioni 11 za wafadhili


Rais wa zamani wa Malawi Bakili Muluzi Friday, February 27, 2009 6:09 AM
Rais wa zamani wa Malawi Bakili Muluzi amekamatwa na kupandishwa kizimbani kwa makosa ya kuiba dola milioni 11 kutoka kwenye fedha za msaada toka kwa wafadhili na kuzihamishia kwenye akaunti yake binafsi.
Serikali ya Malawi imemkamata rais wa zamani wa nchi hiyo Bakili Muluzi kwa wizi wa dola milioni 11 kutoka katika fedha za wafadhili.

Tume ya kudhibiti rushwa ya Malawi (ACB) ilisema kwamba ilikuwa ikimchunguza rais huyo wa zamani kwa kipindi cha miaka miwili iliyopita kuhusiana na madai ya kuiba fedha za msaada zilizotewa na nchi za Taiwan,Morocco, Libya na wafadhili wengine.

"Tumemkamata tena Muluzi kwa makosa 87 ya kujichotea kiasi cha dola za Marekani milioni 11 kutoka kwenye pesa za wafadhili na kuzihamishia kwenye akaunti yake binafsi, atapandishwa kizimbani" alisema mkurugenzi wa ACB Alex Nampota alipokuwa akiongea na shirika la habari la Reuters.

Muluzi aliachia ngazi mwaka 2004 baada ya kujaribu bila mafanikio kubadilisha katiba ya nchi ili kumruhusu aendelee kutawala.

Bakili Muluzi alipohojiwa alikanusha kujichotea fedha hizo na kuhamishia kwenye akaunti yake.

Muluzi alipata umaarufu nchini Malawi baada ya kufanikiwa kumng'oa dikteta marehemu Kamuzu Banda mwaka 1994.

Muluzi alitangaza mwaka jana mipango yake ya kurudi kwenye siasa kugombania tena urais kwenye uchaguzi utakaofanyika mwezi mei.

Muluzi alikamatwa kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka 2006 kwa madai ya kuiba fedha za serikali katika kipindi chake cha utawala kuanzia mwaka 1994 hadi 2004 kabla ya kesi yake kufutwa na mwendesha mashtaka wa serikali.

Wafuasi wa Muluzi wamedai kwamba kesi hii ni mpango wa kummaliza kisiasa Muluzi ili kumzuia asishiriki katika uchaguzi ujao wa urais.