A senior magistrate has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau over the alleged irregular purchase of a vehicle seized by the Office of the Sheriff in Mzuzu.
The ACB swooped on Godfrey K. Nyirenda, a Senior Resident Magistrate based at Mchinji Magistrate’s Court, alongside auctioneer Praise Chimbilima Gondwe, following investigations into the controversial sale of the vehicle.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Bureau said Nyirenda faces two criminal charges: misuse of office and giving false information to investigators.
According to the ACB, the misuse of office charge stems from allegations that the magistrate used his position to acquire the vehicle, which had been seized by the Sheriff.
The second charge relates to information he is alleged to have provided during the Bureau’s investigation.
Gondwe, who operates Chimbilima Auctioneers and Estate Agents, has been charged with giving false information to the ACB in connection with the sale of the vehicle to Nyirenda.
The arrests have sent shockwaves through legal circles, with both men expected to appear before court on Friday where they will formally take plea to the charges.
The Bureau has not disclosed details of the vehicle at the centre of the case or revealed how the transaction allegedly took place.
Both suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.
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