[JURIST] Malawi Vice President Cassim Chilumpha [official profile] has been released on bail but placed under house arrest three weeks after police arrested [JURIST report] him in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika [official profile; BBC profile]. After being released Monday, Chilumpha proclaimed his innocence on the treason charges, saying that he angered the government by refusing to join the Democratic Progressive Party [Wikipedia backgrounder], established by the President in the wake of his renunciation of the United Democratic Front party [Wikipedia backgrounder].

The president sent a letter [text] to Chilumpha in February asking for his resignation, but a court intervened [BBC report], saying the president has no constitutional authority to fire the vice president. Mutharika is faces impeachment charges [JURIST report] for allegedly misusing funds and violating the constitution. AP has more.