[JURIST] Former Malawi President Bakili Muluzi [BBC profile] will likely be tried for corruption after the country's Supreme Court of Appeal Tuesday struck down an injunction that had stalled the investigation into his alleged theft of international aid money. Muluzi contends that the charges are political, as he intends to seek a third, non-consecutive term in the country's May elections. Last week, President Bingu wa Mutharika [government website] urged the national election commission to reject [Nyasa Times report] Muluzi's filing papers on the grounds that the constitution [text, PDF] bars him from serving a third term.

Both Muluzi and Mutharika have been accused of corruption [JURIST report] in the past. Muluzi served as president from 1994 until 2004. As the country's constitution precluded him from serving a third consecutive term, Mutharika became his hand-picked successor. Mutharika later defected from Muluzi's Democratic Front party to form his own Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) [official website].