The office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has said it will start the extradition process for former Malawi President Joyce Banda so that she should be prosecuted in Malawi over her role in the cashgate scandal.
On Monday, Police in Malawi revealed that they have a warrant of arrest against Banda and now the office of the DPP has said it is ready to support the police to ensure Banda is brought back home to face trial.
Police said they obtained the warrant after investigations showed that Banda committed offences related to abuse of office and money laundering.
The police appealed to International Police (Interpol) to have Banda arrested on the claims that she benefited from the systematic looting of public coffers.
As the police are yet to arrest Banda on the charges of abusing office, the DPP has disclosed that it is ready to support the police in arresting Banda who is believed to be in the United States of America on a self-imposed exile.
DPP public relations officer Apoche Itimu said they can help in extraditing Banda to Malawi.
“The office of DPP can help in the extradition process for her to answer charges, so we can help the police to have her extradited for the answering of charges,” said Itimu.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has disclosed that they are still investigating Banda’s alleged involvement in the corruption scandal which was revealed in 2013 while she was in power.
Banda went on a self-imposed exile after losing the presidency during 2014 tripartite elections in the country.
During the time she has been in exile, cashgate suspects in Malawi have been mentioning her to have been benefiting from the siphoning of taxpayers’ money. An independent audit analysis that was funded by the German Government also established that over K550 billion of public funds was uncounted for during the 2 years that Mrs Banda was president.
