George Kadzipatike surrenders to police over tax warrant

George Kadzipatike, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Director of Legal Affairs and Member of Parliament for Dowa Kasangazi, has voluntarily surrendered to police in Lilongwe. His surrender follows reports that authorities obtained an arrest warrant regarding alleged tax-related issues.

The move comes after a raid last Friday by more than 20 officers from the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), who searched Kadzipatike’s law offices in Lilongwe and Mzuzu. During the operation, officers reportedly confiscated files and personal computers belonging to five lawyers.

Kadzipatike has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he has maintained a clean tax record for 17 years and has consistently received tax clearance certificates from the MRA. He questioned the legitimacy of the pursuit, suggesting that the tax authority might be used as a “political tool for persecution.”

As a member of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash, Kadzipatike expressed concern that prolonged detention could interfere with his parliamentary duties and upcoming committee meetings.