By Our Staff Reporter

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Director of Legal Affairs and Dowa Kasangazi Member of Parliament George Kadzipatike has handed himself over to police at Area 30 in Lilongwe amid reports that law enforcement authorities have a warrant for his arrest over tax-related issues.

Kadzipatike, who is also a private practice lawyer, presented himself to the police on Tuesday, saying he had learnt that authorities were looking for him in connection with alleged tax matters.

The development follows a raid last Friday in which more than 20 officers from the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) searched his law offices in Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

The officers reportedly confiscated files and personal computers belonging to five lawyers during the operation.No Retreat, No Surrender: Police, MRA Raid Kadzipatike Law Offices

Speaking before surrendering himself to the police, Kadzipatike questioned the basis of the reported tax allegations, saying MRA had never approached him over non-payment of taxes.

“MRA has never approached me for non-payment of any taxes. I have been practising law for 17 years now in Malawi and will continue to do so until I die,” Kadzipatike said.

He said he had consistently received tax clearance certificates from MRA over the years, which, according to him, demonstrated that he had been compliant with his tax obligations.

“Each year, MRA has been giving me Tax Clearance Certificates, showing that I have been tax compliant. Now they want to disown their own Certificates?” he asked.

Kadzipatike further accused the tax authority of potentially being used for political purposes, although the specific allegations against him have not yet been publicly detailed.Malawi Lawyer Jivason Kadzipatike questions British NCA’s court document legality circulating on social media

“Politics aside, the primary statutory duty for MRA is to collect taxes from taxpayers and not to be used as a political tool for persecution,” he said.

His reported arrest comes at a potentially significant time for the MCP legislator, who is a member of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash.

Kadzipatike said he was concerned that prolonged detention could prevent him from attending an internal committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

“I am wary that if I am held for too long, I will miss the internal meeting of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Chikangawa plane crash inquiry scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday,” he said.

The circumstances surrounding the reported warrant, including the specific tax allegations and the amount of money, if any, allegedly owed, remain unclear.

Neither the Malawi Police Service nor the Malawi Revenue Authority had issued an official comment on the matter by the time of publication.Court adjourns for MCP thugs to find another lawyer

The development is likely to attract further attention given Kadzipatike’s dual role as a senior MCP official and a sitting Member of Parliament, while the alleged tax case involves a government revenue authority.

Further details are expected once police and MRA officially respond to the allegations.