Makande, Chioko out on bail

Former governing People’s Party (PP) executive member Hophmally Makande and lawyer Ishmael Chioko were on Thursday granted bail, 48 hours after they were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Both have since been formally charged with money laundering.

Makande, who is accused of laundering K2.1 billion ($4.5m), surrendered himself to ACB after it was reported that the bureau was looking for him and that it had already searched his house in Blantyre. The politician is yet to take plea, however.

His charge sheet, seen by The Nation, reads: “Makande, sometime in April and September, aided and abated Paul Mphwiyo, Leonard Kalonga, Maxwell Namata and Michael Mphatso to launder K2.1 billion knowing that it was stolen money.”

As for Chioko, a senior employee at Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera), his charge sheet states that: “In July and September, Chioko aided and abetted Thandizo Mphwiyo to launder K50 million through the Good Deeds Trust”.

Thandizo, wife to former Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo, is currently on bail after being charged with money laundering and forgery on Tuesday.

During the court session yesterday, State lawyer Imran Saidi asked the court to further detain Chioko for fear that he might tamper with evidence.

But Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Paul Chiotcha threw out the argument, citing lack of evidence.

Both suspects have been asked to hand in their travel documents, provide two sureties worth K1 million each, report to the ACB once a week and also surrender K1 million in cash.

Meanwhile, Mphwiyo has spent another night in custody following Judge Lloyd Mhura’s withdrawal from the case for reasons that we could not immediately ascertain.

Mphwiyo was expected to get bail yesterday, but his lawyers said they were still waiting for a judge and time allocation for hearing.

“His bail application is tomorrow [Friday],” said Mphwiyo’s lawyer Shadreck Mhango.

On Wednesday, a decision on Mphwiyo’s bail application could not be made because the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had written to ask the lower court to commit Mphwiyo’s matter to the High Court. This, therefore, took the matter out of Chiotcha’s hands.

Mphwiyo has been charged with theft and money laundering amounting to K2.1 billion.