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afrol.com/AENS, 22 February - Opposition Malawi parliamentarian Daniel Mphunga has been arrested on criminal corruption charges after allegedly masterminding a tender scam, the country's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) announced on Thursday. Mphunga, a prominent Malawi Congress Party (MCP) parliamentarian for the lakeside Nkhotakota district, is accused of forgery after he allegedly fabricated 11 works department certificates claiming payment for non-existent schools. The contractor, Greseldar Jeffrey, allegedly made R300 000 in the deal and allegedly paid Mphunga R60 000 for organising the certificates. ACB deputy director Alex Nampota said on Thursday Mphunga was arrested during a raid on his home on Tuesday after documentary evidence implicating him in the scandal emerged. Mphunga appeared briefly in a local Nkhotakota court and plead not guilty before being released on bail. Nampota said on Thursday that the arrest formed part of a national clampdown on corruption and followed months of investigation into Mphunga's activities while he served as a statistician at the education ministry in 1999. Three other education ministry officials were also arrested for their roles in the scam this week. Two of the accused, accountants Phillip Luwanika and Francis Liwewe, plead guilty to corruption charges. Mphunga is one of 11 parliamentarians named in the larger US$ 2,5 million education ministry scandal that cost three cabinet ministers their jobs last year. The politicians allegedly awarded contracts to build 'ghost' schools to relatives and friends. The contractors were paid for the contracts, but no work was ever done. Mphunga's arrest follows scathing criticism by British High Commissioner George Finlayson last week of the government's apparent reluctance to arrest politicians who have been implicated in corruption. By Brian Ligomeka, African Eye News Service (AENS)
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