Police claim APM hack plot in Magalasi case

The State has charged former presidential aide Collins Magalasi under the Cyber and Electronic Transactions law for allegedly aiding a person to hack mobile phones of President Peter Mutharika and several senior public officers.

In a charge sheet read in the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court, Magalasi is accused of working with a person identified as Lovemore between June and August 2026 to hack mobile phones belonging to Mutharika alongside Cabinet ministers Chimwemwe Chipungu, Peter Mukhito and Norman Chisale.

Targeted: Mutharika. | Nation

The list also included Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga and his deputies Noel Kayira and Evarista Chisale.

The State alleges that Magalasi provided Chikoma with a laptop computer and the targeted officials’ phone numbers to facilitate the alleged hacking plot.

Magalasi, who was arrested on Tuesday, was taken to court to be charged and take plea. During the proceedings, he applied for bail through his lawyer, however, the State objected to the application.

Bail fate today: Magalasi. | Nation

The State paraded Superintendent Isaac Ndala to explain why Magalasi should remain in custody for a further seven days.

He told the court that Magalasi could interfere with witnesses because of his financial resources.

But Magalasi’s lawyer, Andy Kawonga , dismissed the State’s argument, saying there was no basis for keeping his client in custody based on fears that he could interfere with witnesses.

He said police had already seized electronic devices and other items from Magalasi’s home during a search; hence, the fears were unfounded.

Further, Kawonga accused the State of bringing charges against his client “piecemeal” in a bid to keep him in custody.

He said Magalasi was charged on Tuesday in connection with matters relating to the Amaryllis Hotel deal before being charged on Wednesday in the separate cybercrime case.

“The law is blind,” Kawonga told the court.

State lawyer Prescott Mwayiulipo told the court that its cybercrime team needed more time to extract and analyse information from electronic devices seized from Magalasi and his associates; hence, asked for seven days to complete the work.

Chief resident magistrate Austin Banda reserved his ruling on bail to 10am today.

Magalasi on Tuesday told The Nation at Lilongwe Police Station in Area 3 that his charges related to Amaryllis Hotel, whose acquisition by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund for K128 billion is under dispute.

He is credited with drafting of the governing Democratic Progressive Party manifesto that took the party back into power through the September 16 2025 General Election after a five-year opposition stint.

Magalasi previously served as Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority chief executive officer as well as chief economic adviser and executive assistant to Mutharika.

Before joining public service, Magalasi was an economic governance expert and civil society leader and previously headed the Malawi Economic Justice Network.

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