Bakili Muluzi, former cabinet minister and secretary general of the ruling Malawi Congress Party and now chairman of the opposition United Democratic Front, was arrested on 15 February 1993. He is currently held without charge at Chichiri Prison. On 14 February Life-President Banda claimed that Bakili Muluzi had misappropriated party funds in the 1970s and ordered his arrest. The accusation of misappropriation appears to be an attempt to weaken the UDF during its campaign for the forthcoming referendum on multi- party democracy. Police searching Bakili Muluzi’s home on 14 February arrested his wife and other UDF officials when they could not find him. They were later released without charge.
