Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima arrested for corruption - BBC

Malawi's Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been arrested connected allegations that helium accepted wealth successful speech for awarding authorities contracts, the country's anti-corruption bureau says.

He is accused of receiving $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman "and different items", a connection says.

Mr Chilima has appeared successful tribunal but has not commented connected the charges.

He had already been stripped of his powers successful June erstwhile helium was archetypal accused by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The vice-president faces six charges relating to corruption.

The British businessman, named arsenic Zuneth Sattar, was arrested successful the UK successful October past twelvemonth and is present connected bail.

He is accused of utilizing connections with elder Malawi authorities officials and politicians to fraudulently get contracts to proviso goods and services.

Mr Sattar has denied each incorrect doing.

Mr Chilima came to powerfulness successful 2020 arsenic the moving mate of President Lazarus Chakwera.

He had antecedently campaigned connected an anti-corruption platform, promising to extremity decades of sleaze successful authorities and ending poorness successful 1 of the worlds astir poorest countries.

"Corruption has the powerfulness to rupture a state and its radical beyond repair. Corruption has the powerfulness to marque a authorities suffer its legitimacy implicit its people," the vice-president is quoted successful a 2021 Anti-Corruption Bureau newsletter arsenic saying.