Malawi police detained Kaliati, secretary general of the opposition United Transformation Movement (UTM), last Thursday for “plotting a felony”.

Kaliati, a lawmaker since 1999 who has held several ministerial posts, leads the UTM of former vice president Saulos Chilima, who died in a plane crash in June.

Following his death, the party quit the governing alliance which it had joined to enable Chakwera’s coalition to win the 2020 elections.

“My client has chosen to remain silent as she believes in her innocence. We are just waiting for the court’s bail ruling” expected later in the day, Kaliati’s lawyer Khwima Mchizi said.

As Kaliati, 57, was appearing before magistrate Roderick Michongwe, Chakwera was swearing in members of a commission of inquiry to investigate circumstances that led to the death of the country’s vice president.

Buoyed by thousands of party supporters who chanted anti-government songs, Kaliati was charged with conspiracy to murder.

She is accused of conspiring with two others to murder Chakwera — Joseph Odala and Frank Chinedu — who both remain at large.

State prosecutor Levison Mangani asked the court for seven more days to finalise investigations into the case.

Mchizi asked the court to release his client with or without bail, saying his client should not be held in custody pending the conclusion of investigations.

Chilima died on June 10 alongside eight others, including former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri, when the military aircraft he was travelling in crashed into Malawi’s Chikangawa Forest in dense fog.

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© Agence France-Presse