Former minister of Transport and Public Works, Jappie Mhango, has spent a night at Mzuzu Police Station following his arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on allegations of abuse of office.
Mhango, who is Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice president for the Northern Region, is accused of authorising the sale of houses belonging to the Ministry of Transport and Public Works at undervalued prices of about K2.9 million to his direct relative, Cuthbert Mhango, and 11 others.
According to the ACB, this resulted in a loss to the government.
A statement signed by the bureau’s Principal Public Relations Officer, Egrita Ndala, claims that Mhango influenced the sale of one of the houses located in Chimaliro Township in Mzuzu to his relative and provided false information to the bureau.
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“It is further alleged that on 11 April 2022 at the Anti-Corruption Bureau offices in Mzuzu, he provided false information to bureau officers by stating that he does not know the landlord of the house rented by his second wife, Miss Thokozile Wanda, in Chimaliro, Mzuzu City, while in fact the said house was bought from the Ministry of Transport and Public Works at the time he was the responsible minister, and is owned by his direct relative, Cuthbert Mhango,” the statement reads.
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Mhango was picked up by ACB officers from one of the houses under investigation in Chimaliro, Mzuzu, at around 9:00am yesterday, and taken to the bureau’s Mzuzu offices, where he spent about one and a half hours.
He was later taken to Mzuzu Police Station, where DPP leaders and supporters from the region started visiting him to offer support.
However, the growing crowd prompted police to shut the main entrance to maintain order.
Tensions escalated when DPP Regional Governor for the North, Christopher Mzomera Ngwira, forcefully entered the premises by ramming the gate with his vehicle.
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This angered the police, who confronted Ngwira and accused him of undermining law enforcement.
It took Mhango himself to plead with the leaders and supporters to stop the chaos.
“I am here at the police station not because they have arrested me. ACB officials are the ones who brought me here. Therefore, fighting the police is wrong. I am safe here and remain peaceful,” Mhango said.
However, Ngwira shouted at the police, further claiming that Mhango’s arrest was political.
“We, the people of the Northern Region, will not accept this happening. How can they bring issues of 2016 now? We know they are doing this because we are going towards elections,” he said.
During the commotion, supporters harassed Malawi Broadcasting Corporation reporter, Alex Mwangosi, preventing him from covering the events.
Meanwhile, some DPP supporters gathered at the police premises, where they were expected to hold vigils.
Mhango is expected to appear in court today where he will likely be formally charged.
