Malawi Government through Director of Public Prosecutions has dropped the criminal case against Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Masauko Chamkakala has confirmed to the local media
“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.
“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,” said Chamkakala who was appointed last month.
Chizuma was arrested in December following a complaint by former DPP Steven Kayuni who claimed that Chizuma, in a leaked audio, 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.
She 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 Chizuma’s 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. The supreme court is yet to deliver its ruling.
