Blantyre City mayor,Chikakwiya, arrested for alleged theft
by: Mabvuto Banda, 12/3/2004, 9:25:37 AM

Blantyre City Mayor and ruling party regional governor (South) John Chikakwiya was yesterday arrested for the alleged theft of K400,000 ($3,703) which he collected from a milling company.
Chikakwiya becomes the sixth UDF official to be arrested in the last seven months.
Police said on Thursday Chikakwiya allegedly got the money under the pretext that it would be used to fix some roads in the City of Blantyre.
An officer in the public relations department Kelvin Maigwa said the mayor has been charged with theft by public servant for allegedly collecting money from Bakhresa Grain and Milling.
“We are told that the money was deposited into the assembly’s account but Chikakwiya later asked that the money be withdrawn for him to supervise the project,” Maigwa alleged.
Chikakwiya’s lawyer Tamando Chokotho was fighting to get bail for his client as went to press on Thursday.
The Mutharika’s government crackdown on UDF top leadership is yet to convict UDF deputy director of research Humphrey Mvula, director of youth Rodson Jangiya, UDF organising secretary Salim Bagus and former Minister of Finance Friday Jumbe.
The five are already facing different charges on alleged corruption.
Chikakwiya has in recent months been one of the leading advocates against the arrests which he has described as political witch-hunting.
The Blantyre mayor is still awaiting his fate from the Director of Public Prosecutions Ishmael Wadi, who is investigating the regional party boss on allegations that he is paying the UDF Young Democrats for violence and on the utterances he made about genocide in Malawi.