Kadzipatike
Malawi Government has withdrawn its appeal against the High Court ruling over the interdiction of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma.
Lawyers hired by the state have withdrawn an application for appeal which was filed at the Supreme Court of Appeal following a High Court ruling that rejected government’s application to vacate an injunction restraining Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba from interdicting Chizuma.
One of the lawyers Chancy Gondwe, who was representing the state alongside George Kadzipatike, has confirmed saying they initially wanted the court to adjourn the matter but Justice John Katsala declined.
“The government side later applied for withdrawal of the matter and lawyers representing Malawi Law Society (MLS), Patrick Mpaka and Chrispin Ngunde, did not object. The court proceeded and withdrew the case,” Nation Online reported.
Mpaka told Nation Online the withdrawal means that there is no case in the Supreme Court.
On January 31, Zamba interdicted Chizuma over criminal charges she was facing due to remarks made in a leaked audio.
Last week, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala dropped the two criminal charges against Chizuma.
“I decided to discontinue the criminal case against Ms Chizuma in line with the prescriptions of the Constitution and other relevant laws. This is to ensure that the functionality of the ACB is not impeded,” said Chamkakala.
A law expert said over the weekend that following the dropping of charges against Chizuma, the secretary to the president and cabinet should also retract the interdiction letter against the ACB chief.
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