Malawi Arrests Ex-justice Minister over Assassination Attempt

Malawi police said Friday they have arrested axed justice minister Ralph Kasambara for the failed assassination attempt of a corruption-busting treasury official in September.

"I can confirm about the arrest of Kasambara last (Thursday) night because he is a suspect and we want to establish his involvement in the shooting incident," national police spokesman Kelvin Maigwa told Agence France Presse.

Paul Mphwiyo, the budget director in the finance ministry, was shot and wounded outside his house just as he was about to expose a government corruption ring.

The former justice minister is the fourth suspect arrested for the assassination attempt.

Several public servants have been nabbed over the past two months on suspicion of swindling the state of more than $20 million in what has been dubbed the Capital Hill 'cash-gate' scandal, named after the seat of government.

Amid donor threats President Joyce Banda last month sacked her entire cabinet, including Kasambara, amid reports some were lining their pockets from state coffers in the deeply impoverished southern African state.

On Thursday international funders warned future disbursements depended on a government clean-up of its fiscus.