The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it has not obtained a warrant of arrest for Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba who is the subject of serious corruption allegations made by former National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) chief executive officer Hellen Buluma.
The bureau made the clarification on Friday after a picture of a purported warrant for Zamba was circulated on social media.
ACB spokesperson Egritta Ndala said in a statement that there was no arrest warrant for Zamba.
“[The Bureau] has not applied or obtained any warrant of arrest for Colleen Zamba,” said Ndala.
She described the arrest warrant circulating on social media as misleading and said such fake information has potential to negatively impact the fight against corruption.
In an interview with the local media, Ndala said the bureau is not investigating Zamba but has been investigating the procurement of fertilizer by the Malawi Government.
Last year, while appearing before a parliamentary, former NOCMA chief executive officer Buluma revealed that Zamba, who serves as NOCMA board chairperson, gave her names of companies which Zamba said should be offered fuel contracts.
Last week, Zamba suspended the director general of the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau chief Martha Chizuma, something described as illegal by law experts who have argued that the power to interdict the ACB chief rests with President Lazarus Chakwera.
“An SPC has no such powers, with a Principal piece of legislation that is called the Corrupt Practices Act in place. Only the President can suspend the ACB Director. What she has attempted to do is invalid and of no effect. It should be ignored, because it cannot be legally enforced,” said University of Malawi law professor Garton Kamchedzera.
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