28/07/06 (B361) Les temps de l’impunité garantie aux dictateurs s’achèvent. Avis aux contrevenants …. et aux candidats professionnels à l’incarcération pour détournement de fonds publics et d’aides internationales. / AP L’ancien Président du Malawi a été arrêté pour corruption et détournements des fonds internationaux sur son compte personnel (RAPHAEL TENTHANI) Associated Press Writer (En anglais – info lecteur)

BLANTYRE, Malawi – Malawi’s former President Bakili Muluzi was arrested on corruption charges related to millions of dollars in donor funds that allegedly ended up in his personal account.

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Muluzi, who was released on bail after being questioned Thursday, faces 42 counts of theft, corruption and breach of trust, said Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Gustave Kaliwo.

Muluzi’s lawyer, Fahad Assani, said the ex-leader denies the charges.

« We are very confident he will be found very, very innocent, » Assani said.

One of the indictments against Muluzi concerns $10 million in development funds from Taiwan, Morocco, Libya and Rwanda that found its way into his account, Kaliwo said. A second indictment deals with $50,000 the government allegedly channeled through the Tanzanian Embassy to Muluzi.

Sam Mpasu, spokesman for Muluzi’s United Democratic Front party, called the arrest a continuation of the « political persecution » waged by the administration of Muluzi’s hand-picked successor, Bingu wa Mutharika.

Wa Mutharika quit the party that put him in power last year, accusing his former allies of blocking his clampdown on corruption, and survived a subsequent attempt to impeach him. Several former government officials are either being investigated or are on trial for fraud and corruption.

Muluzi led the impoverished southern African nation from 1994-2004.