Malawi Police in Lilongwe have rearrested a whistle blower who has risked his life to unearth corruption activities at Bwaila Hospital, a key factor that has sunk public services at the healthy facility.
Mayaya: Free the whistle blower
Ramsy Mushani, spokesperson for Lilongwe police station confirmed the arrest on Monday of Donnex Banda, the executive director of Youth Health Network.
“He was arrested because he was not honouring his bail conditions,” said Mushani.
However, his statement sharply contradicted that of principal secretary for Health Macphil Magwira who said Banda was arrested because he was intimidating staff at the hospital.
His arrest comes at a time when he has been speaking loud against corruption at the public hospital when the former district health officer Mwai Mwale hired an expensive catering firm to provide food for patients and night shift staff.
However the hospital failed to pay a huge debt which has led to the abrupt end of provision of food to both patients and staff working on night shift.
Mwale has since been transferred.
Some speculations say the MM Catering firm belonged to him. He denies the allegations.
Civil Society activist Billy Mayaya has since asked for the immediate release of Banda.
Mayaya said Banda is a whistle blower who always wants to see an end to corruption at the hospital.
During his arrest, he was calling for the transfer of more top hospitals whom he accused of corruption.