The Principal Resident Magistrate (PRM) Court in Mzuzu has today granted bail to Mzimba North Member of Parliament (MP) Yeremiah Chihana.
Chihana, who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday, is being charged with two counts of abuse of office and one of failure to declare an interest.
When Chihana appeared in court, the principal legal and Prosecution officer at ACB, Daniel Nyasulu, said the charges related to abuse of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Nyasulu noted that the Bureau wants Chihana to take a plea alongside others from the M’mbelwa District Council, who are yet to be picked, but warrants of arrest were already obtained.
A lawyer representing Chihana, Wapona Kita, applied for bail on the premise that the State no longer had reasons to hold his client.
PRM Clemence Chamwenda has since granted Chihana bail. Conditions include a K1 million cash bond, one surety bonded at K10 million non-cash, that he surrenders travel documents and that he reports to ACB in LL once every fortnight.
Chihana has been a vocal critic of President Lazarus Chakwera’s government. Notably, in 2022, Chihana raised concerns about corruption in the Affordable Inputs Program (AIP), alleging that K30 billion out of the K188 billion budget was stolen.
He claimed to have evidence to support his assertions, bringing attention to potential corruption within the government.
