Malawi's former finance minister Simplex Chithyola Banda is charged with abuse of office over K29.5 billion approved for the Greenbelt Authority
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Simplex Chithyola Banda, Malawi's former Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs and Leader of the Opposition, was arrested in April 2026 in the Anti-Corruption Bureau's Greenbelt Authority investigation. According to Nyasa Times (July 22, 2026), a charge sheet dated July 16, 2026 charges him with abuse of office (Criminal Case No. 1036 of 2026, Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate's Court) over about K29.5 billion in extra-budgetary funding he approved for the Greenbelt Authority, reportedly for the Lweya Irrigation Scheme. He was due to plead on August 7, 2026, and the court has ruled the State cannot arrest him further in the case and must proceed by summons. Malawi24 reported that investigators allege manipulated procurement and payments to contractors despite incomplete work, and that the Bureau said investigations continue and more arrests are expected. The charge is an allegation; no court has convicted him.
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- Nyasa Times
faces court over K29.5bn Greenbelt funds
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