…call for fresh, independent inquiry
Malawians on social media have taken to task President Lazarus Chakwera’s 12-member commission for its findings following the inquiry into the mess surrounding the arrest of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma, saying the inquiry was part of government’s plan to fire Chizuma.
Chizuma was in the wee hours of December 6, 2022 controversially arrested by the Malawi Police Service while in her pyjamas a development which later saw Director of Public Prosecutions Steven Kayuni being suspended.
Following the matter, President Chakwera appointed retired Justice of Appeal Edward Twea to lead a 12-member commission of inquiry to investigate the arrest and the commission has now released results of its findings.
According to the commission’s findings, there is reasonable ground to suspect that Chizuma committed offences and demonstrated lack of judgement in her leaked audio that led to her arrest.
“The commission recommends that appropriate action be taken to deal with the conduct of the DG of the ACB in so far as the leaked is concerned,” reads part of the report.
This is contrary to the expectations of many who have published social media posts full of venom saying their understanding was that the inquiry was supposed to find out who authorized the arrest of ACB Director, and why was she arrested on a leaked audio which happened seven months back and for which the president publicly announced to have forgiven Chizuma after giving her a strong warning.
“The commission of inquiry was instituted to find out who ordered the arrest of ACB Czar Martha Chizuma but what Malawians have been fed is a cheap propaganda from the state house,” a Facebook user said.
Concurrently, in his reaction to the findings, Moses Mkandawire who is a good governance expert, has told the local media that it is disappointing that the findings have not addressed the issues that Malawians were expecting.
“Because we wanted to find out, who ordered the arrest, at what time was that order given, and how the police execute the order,” said Mkandawire.
Writing on Facebook, social commentator Joshua Chisa Mbele cast doubt if the findings released are really from the 12-member commission which conducted the investigations.
“Purpose & Findings of the Commission. Something is dangerously flawed with our government. This cannot be true looking at the calibre of the people that were appointed to establish the truth,” said Mbele.
Social commentator Onjezani Kenani has described the commission of inquiry as useless saying it was being used as a weapon to defeat the fight against corruption.
“Looks like the Commission of Inquiry was instituted as a kangaroo court to find a way of crucifying the Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Its terms of reference appear to have had very little to do with the arrest. These guys have always been looking for creative ways for dismissing her. So, most likely the whole arrest and assembling of the Commission was planned as a long strategic game for easing her out. Maybe finally they will get their wish,” Kenani posted on his Facebook wall.
Other quarters suggest that an independent inquiry must be reinstituted so that the public should know who was really behind Chizuma’s claiming the presidential commission has failed to do so while others say ACB should investigate the presidential Commission of Inquiry.
Meanwhile, it is uncertain about what the future holds for Chizuma as ACB boss as earlier this week president Chakwera said he will in due course make orders following the recommendations of the commission of inquiry.
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