Malawi’s former President Lazarus Chakwera granted a presidential pardon to business tycoon Thom Mpinganjira, owner of FDH Bank, on July 6, 2025, as part of the country’s 61st independence day celebrations.
According to information sourced by the local media, Mpinganjira was among 37 inmates pardoned on this occasion.
Mpinganjira had been sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment with hard labor in 2021 for attempting to bribe five Constitutional Court judges who were hearing the country’s presidential election constitutional case.
The business morgue had served only 122 days of his sentence before being released on bail at Chichiri prison in Blantyre pending his appeal on the high court verdict.
Following the pardon, Mpinganjira has notified the Supreme Court of his intention to withdraw his appeal.
The presidential pardons are always sparked with debates, with concerns raised about the fairness and justice of the process.
Ministry of Homeland Security principal secretary Steve Kayuni then said the inmates released met the requirements of the guidelines for the granting of pardon to convicted prisoners and demonstrated good behaviour while serving their jail sentence.
Victor Mhango, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA), in July emphasized the importance of fairness and justice in the pardon process, stating that all individuals deserve a second chance when they demonstrate genuine reform.
“As a society, we must recognise that all individuals, regardless of the offence, deserve a second chance when they have demonstrated genuine reform,” he told the local media in July.
