Police in Malawi are currently interviewing Enlightened Christian Gathering church leader and self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary.
This after the Bushiris handed themselves to the police in Lilongwe on Wednesday morning.
Two warrants of arrest had been issued for them after they skipped the country last week and contravened their bail conditions.
The couple is facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Police say once the statements are recorded, the process of setting up a court hearing will begin.
Lawyer Terrance Ntsako Baloyi says Bushiri turned himself in as he believes he did not commit a crime and wants to clear his name:
Malawi’s extradition laws
Malawi’s law allows for the extraditions of accused persons to another country.
However, this only happens after authorities establish that the persons face extraditable charges.
While Malawi is party to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocols on Extradition, its local laws still apply.
It must be determined if the charges the Bushiris face constitute extraditable offences under the law.
Malawi’s Extradition Act says that processes will begin at the lower Magistrate court with expectations of appeals and the like before a higher court can make the final decision.
Bushiri has denied the allegations and is expected to argue that he didn’t commit the said crimes.
The legal process can take up to several years.
In the video below, SABC News Foreign Editor Sophie Mokoena unpacks the Bushiri’s handing themselves over to the police:
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