Former Finance Minister and Leader of Opposition, Simplex Chithyola Banda, has been symbolically arrested by Fiscal Police in Lilongwe.
According to cables , he was initially scheduled to be arrested on 16 February 2026. However, the process was allegedly halted after intervention by senior government officials, who are said to have accepted money to block the arrest.
Months later, the same warrant previously left idle has now been executed.
His lawyer, George Kadzipatike, confirmed that Banda presented himself to Area 6 Fiscal Police Station on Sunday morning, following a warrant issued by the Mkukula Magistrate Court. The legal team has not yet been informed of the reasons for the arrest.
“He handed himself over to Area 6 Fiscal Police this morning following the warrant issued by the Mkukula Magistrate Court,” Kadzipatike stated.
Cables can confirm that the arrest is ceremonial, a symbolic way to prove to Malawians that the government is doing something on those who might have committed crimes in the past regime .
However , cables can reveal that there will be no case to answer for Chithyola Banda let alone prosecution as his arrest is just symbolic to fool Malawians .