Two cabinet ministers Jacob Hara (Transport) and Titus Mvalo (Justice) told Malawi Parliament that ACB director Martha Chizuma has been released unconditionally but the truth is that Martha Chizuma has been released on police bail after being formally charged.
Following Chizuma’s arrest this morning, Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo said he was not aware that Martha Chizuma would be arrested and he only knew about the arrest this morning. He added that Government was shocked about the arrest.
He then claimed that Chizuma had been released unconditionally from Namitete Police Station.
However, Police have said Chizuma who was arrested today around 4AM has been granted police bail after being charged with making use of speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings contrary to section 131(1) d of the penal code.
According to a statement by National Police Spokesperson Peter Kalaya, Chizuma was arrested following a complaint lodged by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Steve Kayuni, who alleged that he was injured by allegations made by the ACB Director General in an audio that leaked on social media in January this year.
Kalaya added that Kayuni’s complaint came after High Court Judge Annabel Mtalimanja ruled in September, 2022 that any individual or party that felt aggrieved by contents of the leaked audio clip could proceed to complain to police for criminal action against the ACB Director General.
Kayuni’s complaint against Chizuma comes amid reports of a fraught working relationship between the two directors.
In an interview with the local media, Minister of Justice Mvalo has said the developments today indicate that the working relationship between Chizuma and Kayuni has not improved despite his interventions.
“With what has happened today we must find a solution to end this fight. It doesn’t help. We need these offices to work together,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has indicated that government will conduct an inquiry into the arrest of Chizuma and hold any wrongdoers accountable, saying their actions undermine and threaten the progress against efforts to tame corruption in the country.
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