Police in Lilongwe have arrested a powerful church cleric, Reverend Emmanuel Chimkwita Phiri and two others on allegations of fraud after they allegedly obtained K50 million bank loan illegally.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya confirmed of the arrest, saying Reverend Chimkwita Phiri, Reverend Winston Chipangula and businessman Taurai Kamwetsa were arrested on Tuesday and are currently at Maula prison in Lilongwe pending completion of police investigations
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The three are alleged to have forged documents from Falls Baptist to obtain a K50 million loan from National Bank of Malawi.
Kamwetsa is alleged to have forged the documents which committed the property of the church as loan bond to obtain the loan in 2022.
Reverends Chimkwita Phiri and Chipangula are alleged to have authorised the getting of the loan without consulting Board of Trustees of Baptist Convention of Malawi which is mandated to deal with such matters.
The three suspects are expected to appear in court on Tuesday next week.
Reverend Chimkwita Phiri once served as a Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioner during the Joyce Banda rule.
