Yamikani Phiri
Malawi Graft Busting Body Speaks on Judge Bribery Case
The Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has disclosed that it is investigating high profile people in the country for attempting to bribe Judges that are presiding over the election case in the southern African Country.
ACB Director General, Reyneck Matemba, confirmed this during a media briefing in the capital Lilongwe Tuesday, which he said was organized to clarify the allegations surrounding the issue the media brought out Monday that some people wanted to bribe the judges.
But the ACB director refused to mention names of the suspects but he confirmed that the country’s Chief Justice, Andrew Nyirenda, approached him to explain that the Judges complained that some people were trying to corrupt them.
“On 28th November last year, I received a call from somebody in the judiciary telling me that the chief justice wants to see me, we agreed to meet and I met him in person where he narrated the issue that was brought to his attention by two of the five judges that are handling the case relating to elections,” explained Matemba.
He said after the meeting they agreed that the chief Justice would undertake in writing to formerly complained to the Bureau which he did and the complaint was handed to the Bureau on 8th December 2019.
“Contrary to your expectations, I will not reveal the names of the suspects that the Chief justice mentioned for legal reasons,” added Matemba adding that the Chief Justice’s written complaint did not mention any political party or politician as rumors on social media were suggesting.
“As a compromise, the two people that the chief Justice mentioned were a senior public servant working in one of the three arms of government, the other one works in the private sector – that’s how far I can go,” the ACB chief explained.
Matemba said the ACB would work round the clock and that they have already approached the two Judges that the Chief Justice mentioned on 28th December and had their statements as they were the ones who complained.
Currently, for about two weeks now the Bureau has been investigating the case and, according to Matemba, they are making progress.
Opposition leaders, Lazarus Chakwera and Saulos Chilima, are challenging the May 2019 presidential results where incumbent president Peter Mutharika was declared winner.
Hearing of the case ended in December and Judgment is expected early February.
6 people died in suspected food poisoning in Malawi
Six people of the same family have died while four are battling for their life in a suspected food poisoning in central Malawi’s district of Ntcheu.
According to Sub inspector, Hastings Chigalu, Police Public Relations Officer in the district which borders with Mozambique, the victims includes a couple and their twin children.
“On Monday, 13th January 2019, some family members were reportedly to have started vomiting heavily and were taken to nearby clinic for treatment where four members died on Tuesday morning while the other two breathed their last in the wee hours of Wednesday,” Said Chigalu in a statement.
He said, the four members who are still receiving treatment at the district’s main hospital includes a two-year-old girl who is in a critical condition.
“Investigations are underway to establish the source of the suspected poisoning, and possibly, bring to book the culprits,” Said Chigalu.
Meanwhile, the Police said all the six bodies are still lie at Ntcheu District Hospital Morque waiting for postmortem.
Cases of food poisoning are expected to be common in the southern African country this time when reports of hunger are growing, as local media reports that some people are eating wild food that maybe poisonous.
About 1.8 million people are facing hunger in the country according to their latest Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s report released on 20th December 2019 and this week the government has removed duty on flour imported from outside, to easy the situation.
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