Kachikuwo released on bail, faces 2 counts
Head of Finance at the Malawi Police, Elijah Kachikuwo has been released on bail by a Magistrate Court after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) formally charged him with two counts.
Kachikuwo was arrested on Thursday by ACB in connection with a massive K400 million fraud at the Accountant General’s department.
ACB also arrested two officers, Garnet Chandema and Barnet Mwasinga from the accounts department of Malawi Police.
In a media statement released on Friday by Egrita Ndala, ACB Public Relations Officer, the bureau has pressed two counts to Kachikuwo of misuse public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.
Ndala said Chandema and Mwasinga, who have also been released on bail, will be charged with “seven counts of theft by person employed in the public service contrary to Section 278 as read with section 283 (1) of the Penal Code and one count of misuse of public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.”
The trio have been released on a K100, 000 cash bail bond and were ordered to surrender their travel documents to the ACB as their bail conditions.
Other bail conditions imposed on them include an order asking them to seek authority of the ACB Director if they want to leave Lilongwe.
They have also been ordered to be reporting to ACB offices once every fortnight.
Ndala said Chandema and Mwasinga were asked by the court to produce one reliable surety each bonded at K500, 000 not cash while Kachikuwo was asked to produce two reliable sureties bonded at K200, 000 each not cash.
ACB spokeswoman said the three will appear in court “on a date to be set by the court for commencement of trial.”
