Court Authorises Police Search at Former President Lazarus Chakwera’s Residence Amid Missing Palace Dogs

The Lilongwe Resident Magistrate’s Court has granted police authorisation to conduct a search at the residence of Malawi’s former president, Dr Lazarus Chakwera.

According to a court-issued warrant, officers have been permitted to carry out the exercise at Dr Chakwera’s home in Area 10, Lilongwe, as part of ongoing investigations into the disappearance of four dogs reported missing from the historic Kamuzu Palace.

The development triggered a wave of misinformation online, with social media platforms awash with unfounded claims that Dr Chakwera had been arrested.

Malawi Police were forced to intervene, issuing an official statement rejecting the rumours and making clear that no arrest had been made apart from Jalale who is custody, and that the former president was not a suspect in custody.

Authorities say the search warrant is strictly an investigative procedure and caution the public against spreading unverified information.