Malawi police fail to charge Roza Mbilizi

Malawi Police have conceded that they are yet to press charges on Roza Mbilizi, the former deputy commissioner of Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), a week after she was arrested in the infamous Tonse Alliance ‘clear the rubble’ operation.

National police spokesperson James Kadadzera has confirmed that Mbilizi, believed to be a personal friend to former First Lady Gertrude Maseko Mutharika, was arrested but released the same day last week without charge.

“We cannot reveal the charges because that would compromise our investigations which are underway,” said Kadadzera.

Mbilizi could not be reached for comment.

She was one of the first public officers to be arrested as the new Lazarus Chakwera administration pounces on officials suspected to have been involved in corruption and plunder of public resources.

Chakwera, a former Pentecostal church leader, has said  he does not want to be seen to target political rivals in his anti-corruption drive. Instead, he said: “We want to create an environment in which every institution functions freely, independently, and we are doing that.”

He added: “I want institutions to be able to do their job freely, investigate, and if they do have evidence of whatever has been stolen, then they should follow whatever the law says.”

Promising to “clear the rubble” of corruption within the government, Chakwera has launched investigations into some of the deals agreed by the previous government, suspending contracts.