Malawis former President Bakili Muluzi has been arrested on the orders of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the poor Southern african country, BBC Online reports Thursday.
He was escorted on Thursday morning from his home in Blantyre to the ACBs offices for questioning about financial transactions during his time in office. A spokesman for Mr Muluzi’s United Democratic Front (UDF) party said the arrest did not come as a surprise, and called it “political persecution”.
In October, anti-corruption agents raided Mr Muluzis home and removed papers. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Muluzi stepped down as president after serving two terms in office in 2004. He hand-picked Mr Mutharika to run for president on the UDF ticket. But eight months after his victory, the new president resigned from the UDF over what he says was hostility to his anti-corruption campaign.
In April, Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, who is close to Mr Muluzi, was arrested and charged with treason. He is on bail under strict conditions and may not leave his house without permission from the president.
