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Opposition leader faces treason charges

    JOHANNESBURG

    Malawi's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader Brown Mpinganjira was arrested at his home outside Blantyre and was set to be charged with treason, BBC reported on Tuesday. The leader's wife was quoted as saying that eight police officers arrived at their home, searched it and then taken Mpinganjira away to a maximum security prison in Zomba, 70 km north of Blantyre.

    According to the report, a witness at a treason trial earlier this year named Mpinganjira as the person behind a failed coup attempt in March. At the time the leader - a former government minister and close ally of President Bakili Muluzi - dismissed the claims, the report said. It added that Mpinganjira was dismissed from the cabinet last year and charged with corruption. However, a court acquitted him because of insufficient evidence.

    Treason is a capital offence in Malawi and bail not usually granted, the report said. Hinting at a possible reason for Mpinganjira's arrest, the report said that the NDA was opposed to the possibility of Muluzi seeking a third term of office and that if Mpinganjira was locked away for a long time, he would not be able to challenge Muluzi in the presidential election.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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