After spending more than three years in self-imposed exile because of graft allegations, Former Malawi president Joyce Banda is returning home.
Banda, Malawi’s first woman president, faces allegations of abuse of office and money laundering which she denied.
The Cashgate corruption scandal in which senior government officials siphoned millions from state coffers was uncovered in 2013 while she was president.
A former justice minister and attorney general were convicted over the scandal, along with a number of former high-ranking government officials and business people.
People’s Party Deputy Spokesman Ackson Kaliyile confirmed Ms. Banda arrives in Malawi on Saturday
“I can confirm that as a party we have received communication from the office of the former president that she arrives back in Malawi on Saturday to stay,” said Kaliyile.
Last July, police issued an arrest warrant against Banda, saying her alleged offences were part of Cashgate. But early this year, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said it had no solid evidence against her, partly clearing her of wrongdoing.
The police have also steered away from directly commenting n the matter.
Banda has been living in the United States, serving as a distinguished fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Centre and the Centre for Global Development in Washington DC.
