Collins Magalasi Case Summary

Phone Hacking Charge (Main Focus)

Current Status: Magalasi is in custody on a 7-day remand order for a hacking charge.

The Allegation: He is accused of aiding another person to hack the phones of:

• President Peter Mutharika

• Other senior government officials

Additional Charges (3 New Counts)

Magalasi now faces a total of five counts (three detailed so far):

1. Fraud (March 2024 – October 2025)
   Acting jointly with others to defraud the Public Service Pension Fund through decisions linked to the proposed acquisition of Amaryllis Hotel

2. Theft (January 2026, Lilongwe)
   Stealing money belonging to the pension fund

3. Money Laundering (January 2026, Lilongwe)
   Laundering money from the pension fund

Note: Other accused persons are also connected to the Amaryllis Hotel matter, which remains under investigation.

Court Proceedings

• Hacking Case: Presided over by Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda

• Fresh Charges: Presided over by Senior Resident Magistrate Shukran Kumbani

• Bail Decision: The court will rule on bail for the three new charges today

• Key Point: Even if bail is granted on the new charges, Magalasi will remain in custody due to the remand order in the hacking case

Arguments

State’s Position:

• Investigators need time to preserve evidence

• Keeping Magalasi in custody would prevent interference with the investigation

Defence Argument (Andy Kawonga):

• Investigators already searched Magalasi’s home with 30+ police officers

• Seized vehicles, laptops, computers, and phones

• Questioned what keeping him in custody would achieve since evidence is already with the State

• Questioned why the charges are being handled separately

Timeline