Fredokiss released, scheduled to appear in court on Monday

Malawi: Penjani Kalua, also known as Fredokiss, who was arrested by fiscal police on Friday, has been released from custody, according to his lawyer, Gift Katundu.

The rapper-turned-politician was released around 6 p.m. on Saturday.

"He will return on Monday for further investigations," Gift Katundu said.

Kalua was arrested on Friday and detained at the Blantyre Police Station before being transferred to Lilongwe on Saturday.

When asked about the charges against his client, Katundu only said "fraud other than false pretences."

The national police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Peter Kalaya, also stated that “police have charged musician Penjani Kalua with a case of ‘fraud other than false pretences’ and have since released him on bail.”

He said: “Kalua was arrested in Blantyre on Friday, September 16, 2022, following a complaint that he and his two accomplices duped and defrauded Mr Daiton Bwanamusi of money amounting to K6.3 million. So far, police have managed to recover part of the money and are currently hunting for the two accomplices.

“After his arrest in Blantyre, Kalua was transferred to Lilongwe on Saturday, where the trio allegedly committed the crime and the complaint was logged.”

Fredokiss, the acting youth director in the vice president's party, United Transformation Movement (UTM), and the son of firebrand politician Kamplepo Kalua, is organising a march on Thursday, September 22 in Blantyre to present a petition to Malawi leader Lazarus Chakwera requesting that Mussa John, 19, be released from prison.

Mussa was found in possession of Indian hemp, also known locally as "Chamba," and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

After reviewing the case file, the High Court reduced the sentence to three years.