The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to four officers from the Accountant General’s Department arrested for alleged involvement in money laundering and corruption.

The four, namely Kondwani Luka, Phyllis Kainja, Micius Chikapusa and Verekeni Mpinganjira are, alongside another suspect Estone Nephan Sani who was granted bail earlier, suspected to have received in their bank accounts K159.6 million from various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to perform duties.

The suspects were arrested last week after investigations established the alleged corrupt dealings at Capital Hill.

They applied for bail on Friday last week.

Officials worked in the Accountant General’s office at Capital Hill

Yesterday, senior resident magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda granted bail to the four on condition that they pay a cash bond of K200 000 each.

The suspects were also ordered to produce one surety bonded at K10 million non-cash.

“The suspects are to surrender travel documents, cooperate with the State during investigations, and should not interfere with investigations,” said Nyirenda.

The magistrate also ordered the suspects to be reporting to police fortnightly.

The suspects are facing three counts of receiving property to show favour, corruption, and money laundering.

The count of receiving property to show favour reads that the suspects between September 2021 and June 2022, at Capital Hill in the city of Lilongwe, being employed in the public service as accountants, received money from different MDAs amounting to K159 568 000 through their respective bank accounts.

The charge of corruption reads that the suspects between September 2021 and June 2022, at Capital Hill in the city of Lilongwe, being employed in the public service as accountants, corruptly received K159 568 000 through their bank accounts to discharge duties from different MDAs.

The charge of money laundering states that the suspects, between September 2021 and June 2022, at Capital Hill, knowingly and having reasonable grounds to believe that money deposited in their bank accounts amounting to K159 568 000 from different MDAs, directly or indirectly, represented proceeds of a predicate offence, transferred the said money from the said account with intent to conceal or disguise the illicit origin of the said money.

Nyirenda has since adjourned the case to July 19 2022.

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