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Chithyola Banda Freed on Bail After Arrest Over Corruption Charges
Published on April 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM by Edgar Naitha
The Principal Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe today granted bail to opposition leader in the National Assembly, Simplex Chithyola Banda, following his arrest on Sunday.
The State has charged Chithyola Banda with abuse of office, an offence he allegedly committed alongside two other individuals who are already facing charges.
The court heard that while serving as Minister of Agriculture, Banda allegedly benefited from a deal involving East Bridge. He is accused of facilitating the transfer of funds from the Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) for the purchase of soya beans intended for export to an overseas company in exchange for fertiliser, which was allegedly never imported into the country.
The alleged offences are said to have occurred between October 2023 and September 2025, resulting in a loss of approximately K25 billion to the government.
In granting bail, Magistrate Benjamin Chulu ordered Chithyola Banda to provide a K2 million cash bond, along with two sureties bonded at K5 million each.
He has also been ordered to report to Police Headquarters once every month on a Wednesday.
