A court in Blantyre has formerly charged businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala who was arrested last week.

Senior Magistrate Court in Blantyre has charged Batatawala with two accounts of money laundering and defrauding the Department of Immigration Services.

However, through his lawyer, Alexious Nampota, Batatawala has applied for bail but State through the ACB insists he must remain in police custody as investigations continue.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has also asked the court to remand Batatawala to Chichiri Prison saying he has not been cooperative unlike other three co-accused persons; Evils Thodi, Fletcher Nyirenda and Limbani Chawinga.

Batatawala was arrested in connection to the alleged dubious awarding of contract worth over K2 billion to supply police uniforms and other accessories at the Immigration Department in 2010.