Hiwa is said to have abused his office after he allegegedly recomended the award of a contract to Infracon Limited, the company he owns, for the World Bank-funded $303, 833 contract for the design and supervision of various roads to be constructed in Central and Southern Regions without approval of internal procurement committee.

Hiwa, who is being represented by private practice lawyer Gift Nankhuni, has since pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges, when he appeared before the Lilongwe Senior Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday- a day after he was arrested on corruption allegations.

Lawyer Nankhuni then applied for bail of Hiwa which was granted after State prosecutors did not provide any evidence of the likelihood that, if released on bail, he would attempt to influence or intimidate witnesses.

Granting the bail, Chief Resident Magistrate, Violet Chipawo ordered Hiwa to pay a K400,000 cash and produce two non-cash sureties at K500,000 each including Gertrude  Hiwa,  wife to the accused and commissioner for the Malawi Law Commission.

Court also ordered Hiwa to surrender his passport and gave him directions that he reports to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) once every fortnight.

ACB said Hiwa’s arrest follows an allegation the bureau received against him in April last year.