Chakwera’s Tonse Govt frees Chizuma, drops all court cases against her

by in News

By Chisomo Phiri

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma is now a free woman following the government’s decision to discontinue all criminal cases she was facing.

Masauko Chamkakala,Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed of freeing Chizuma in an interview with local Saturday evening.

“As DPP, I was appointed by the President to advance the Administration’s agenda for Justice in accordance with the rule of law, and His Excellency has always made it clear that part of that agenda is removing all impediments that stand in the path of institutions like the ACB,” said the new DPP Director.



He added “So after reviewing the case and after consulting the Attorney General I decided to discontinue the criminal case against Ms Chizuma in line with the prescriptions of the Constitution and other relevant laws.”

Chizuma was arrested in December following a complaint by former DPP Steven Kayuni who claimed that , in a leaked audio, she described him as compromised and corrupt.

She was set to appear before court last month to be charged with making a speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings, contrary to Section 113(d) of the penal code in relation Kayuni’s complaint.

The ACB Director General also faced the charge of making use of a speech calculated to lower authority of a person before whom a judicial proceeding is being heard.

The second charge was based on allegations that her statement in the leaked audio suggested that High Court of Malawi judge Simeon Mdeza received a bribe while handling a case involving Ashok Kumar Sreedharan, an alleged accomplice of businessperson Zuneth Sattar who is accused of corruption.

Following the criminal charges, Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba interdicted Chizuma.

However, the Malawi Law Society obtained an injunction against the suspension and the charges against Chizuma.

The Malawi Government went to the High Court to vacate the injunction but was rebuffed and it then appealed against the ruling to the Supreme Court of Appeal and the said court is yet to deliver its ruling on Monday February 13,2023.