Update: The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate's Court has officially set aside a fresh arrest warrant for former Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda, instructing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to proceed via summons instead. According to Nation Online, the May 12 court ruling rebuked the bureau for seeking repeated arrests rather than following less oppressive legal alternatives. This development follows earlier coverage of the ACB's renewed pursuit of the opposition leader. The failed arrest attempt has now triggered internal conflict at the ACB. Nyasa Times reports that acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi is being accused of scapegoating senior investigations officer Robert Mkandawire, who was interdicted after executing the poorly planned May 8 nighttime arrest operation without adequate security.
Update: Following earlier reports of fatal witchcraft violence, police have intensified their crackdown on mob killings in southern Malawi. The Mail & Guardian reports that 45 suspects have now been arrested in connection with the deaths of seven people in the Chikwawa and Nsanje districts. Authorities state that 27 of the suspects are facing murder charges, while 16 have been detained for spreading false rumors about missing body parts. The National Initiative for Civic Education Public Trust issued a statement on May 12 condemning the violence as a gross constitutional violation, according to AfricaBrief, while the Malawi Law Society has cautioned against criminalising witchcraft during the growing national debate, as reported by Nyasa Times.
In a separate legal matter, the High Court in Lilongwe was forced to delay the corruption trial of convicted Chinese wildlife trafficker Lin Yunhua due to transport issues. According to Face of Malawi, prison authorities failed to bring Lin from Dedza Prison to his May 12 hearing. ACB prosecutor Peter Sambani stated the delay occurred strictly because the transport vehicle developed a mechanical fault. Lin faces charges of attempting to bribe a magistrate and prison officials following his controversial presidential pardon and immediate re-arrest by the ACB in July 2025.