By Chisomo Phiri
The State, through prosecutor Cecilia Zangazanga, on Wednesday made a u-turn on former Minister of Information and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Director of Campaign, Moses Kunkuyu’s charge of making remarks that could incite violence by charging him with a new case of abuse of office and money laundering.
Kunkuyu was arrested on Monday on accusations of making remarks that could incite violence at the funeral of the late former First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Madalitso Kazombo.
But when he appeared in court on Wednesday, the State changed his case to abuse of office and money laundering.
According to the State, the abuse of office charge is that in August 2025, while serving as a minister, Kunkuyu directed Malawi Posts Corporation (MPC) to disburse over K14 million for the construction of boreholes and school blocks in Karonga and Dedza.
On the money laundering charge, the State alleged that some of the funds were later used for personal gain.
The State then asked the court to adjourn the matter for 14 days to allow it to complete investigations and obtain consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) before proceeding with the case.
But Kunkuyu’s lawyers, Khwima Mchizi, Jimmy Mnyanda and George Jivason Kadzipatike, applied for bail, arguing that their client is entitled to freedom while investigations continue.
In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate of the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court, Austin Banda, granted bail to Kunkuyu on condition that he pays K1 million cash bail and provides two sureties bonded at K2 million each.
Kunkuyu becomes the fifth senior MCP member to be arrested since December last year after former Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma, MCP Secretary General (SG) Richard Chimwendo Banda, MCP Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwila and former Minister of Trade and Industry, who was also MCP president Lazarus Chakwera’s running mate, Vitumbiko Mumba.
Chimwendo Banda is accused of attempting to murder Frank Chawanda in February 2021, while Mumba and Kabwila are accused of addressing a press conference dubbed ‘We Got This’, where they alleged electoral fraud by the then opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) announced the official presidential election results for the September 16 general elections.
