By Our Reporter
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) yesterday arrested Malawi’s Northern Region Police Commissioner Richard Luhanga in Mzuzu and charged him with abuse of public office.
He was later granted court bail by chief resident magistrate Godfrey Balaka.
In a statement, the ACB said the arrest followed completion of investigations on a report which it received alleging that Luhanga, while in Mzuzu between 2022 and 2023, abused his office for his personal advantage.
It said he used paint donated by Press Trust Limited to the Northern Region Police Headquarters for painting Mzuzu Police Hospital to paint his private properties at Nkhozo Estate in Bolero.
ACB head of investigations Christopher Kaminjolo said Luhanga, while serving as public officer in his role as Commissioner of Malawi Police Service, arbitrarily directed the diversion of the paint.
In an interview yesterday, ACB principal legal and prosecutions officer Daniel Nyasulu said Luhanga has been formally charged with the offence of abuse of office.
“Commissioner Luhanga has been granted a court bail. Some of the conditions are that he has to produce two sureties, report to ACB fortnightly and a cash bond of K500 000. He has to deposit his travel documents with ACB,” he said.
Luhanga’s lawyer, Victor Gondwe of John Tennyson Kawelo and Associates said they will wait for disclosures on the matter.
“No plea has been taken because there are some things that have to be changed in the charge sheet, but also for the ACB to give us disclosures,” he said.
The State has since been given 21 days to provide the disclosures after which the court will set dates for hearing and plea taking.
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