A MALAWI magistrate released self-proclaimed prophet and businessman Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary from custody on Thursday, saying the arrest of the couple, who face charges of money-laundering, theft and fraud in South Africa, was illegal.
Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba said the couple’s arrest in Malawi on Wednesday went against the country’s laws and ordered the two to be freed without bail “in the interest of justice.”
Bushiri, a pastor, has a large social media following and a lifestyle that includes expensive clothes, mansions and sports cars. He claims to be able to cure HIV and blindness and promises to deliver his followers from poverty.
Malawi police arrested Bushiri after he skipped bail in South Africa and fled to his home country. Bushiri has said his life is in danger in South Africa and he believes he will not have a fair trial.
He and his wife were
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