Malawi Electoral Commission faces fiscal police raid amid financial mismanagement probe

Fiscal police stormed the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) headquarters in Lilongwe on Friday, with about 11 officers interrogating Director of Administration and Human Resources Yacinto Chikapa while commissioners were in session. Attorney General Frank Mbeta confirmed the operation is part of a wider probe into financial mismanagement and abuse uncovered by an internal audit, saying, “Fiscal Police are conducting investigations into the financial mismanagement and abuse revealed by the audit report.”

The raid occurs alongside a court‑ordered sealing of MEC warehouses over unpaid rentals and a prolonged dispute over a presidential directive to relocate the commission from Lilongwe to Blantyre. MEC Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mpesi has resigned and Chairperson Anabel Mtalimanja is reported to be considering resignation. Despite the tension, commissioners continued their work, preparing for the Nsanje South and Mangochi East by‑elections scheduled for July‑September.