The Malawi Police Service has released Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma on bail.
National police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said Chizuma has been formally charged with making speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings, contrary to section 113 (1) of the penal code.
Chizuma was arrested on the wee hours of Tuesday morning by the Malawi police over a leaked telephone conversation she had with an unknown person in January this year, regarding prosecution of corruption cases by the bureau.
Read part of the statement: “Miss Chizuma was arrested following a complaint by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Dr Steve Kayuni, who alleged he was injured by allegations made by the ACB director general in a leaked audio clip earlier this year.”
But reacting to the development, various sectors including the National Anti-Corruption Alliance (NACA) condemned the arrest of Chizuma saying it is likely to affect the prosecution of corruption cases in the country.
Chairperson of the alliance, Moses Mkandawire, through a statement expressed concern over the development and asked the authorities to guarantee Chizuma safety and to safeguard her rights and those of her family during this period.
Mkandawire further advised the authorities to refrain from frustrating those fighting corruption but rather focus on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in corruption.
And on its part, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Interim Vice Chairperson, Micheal Kaiyatsa concurred with Mkandawire and called for Chizuma’s unconditional release.
However, government through Information Minister Gospel Kazako welcomed the news of Chizuma’s release despite expressing concern by the delays by the police to make information available on the reasons and manner in which Chizuma was arrested and has since called on the police to inform the nation on these matters within the course of the day.
Nevertheless he said government will conduct an inquiry into the incident and hold any wrongdoers accountable, saying the actions undermines and threatens government’s progress on ending corruption.
