Office of president and cabinet interdicts ACB director
Office of President and Cabinet OPC has interdicted director of Ant Corruption Bureau ACB Martha Chizuma because she is answering a case of a leaked audio conversation
In an interdiction letter secretary to OPC Colleen Zamba says she received a report of the criminal court case in which Chizuma is answering two charges of making use of speech to lower authority of a person and prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings
Zamba says the allegations against the ACB director are serious misconduct of a public officer
According to Zamba Chizuma has been interdicted as per Malawi Public Service Commission regulation effective 31st January with full pay
The secretary of OPC says the ACB director shall cease to exercise any functions in public service and not leave Malawi without written permission from office of president and cabinet
Zamba adds that the interdiction order shall remain in force until the conclusion of Chizuma’s criminal proceedingsc
Meanwhile the legal expert has questioned the legality of the letter saying is only the President who has powers of hiring and firing Director of ACB.
Osmaan Kennedy, law lecturer at Blantyre International University said the letter can be challenged in court because the author, Secretary to Office of President and Cabinet, has no such powers.
Kennedy further said even if the president has such powers the decision cannot be effected until confirmed by Public Appointments Committee of Parliament.
Commenting on ACB director’s interdiction, Political Scientist Sherriff Kaisi said this marks the end of war on corruption by Tonse Alliance administration.
Kaisi said this vindicates lack of seriousness by the ruling party on the fight against corruption.
