The allegations that the nation’s vice president, Saulos Chilima, was the subject of a corruption case that was dropped by Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala are all over the media.
According to accusations made against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma, Chilima misused his position of authority by pressuring certain government organizations to grant contracts to the notorious Zuneth Sattar.
That being said, the weak evidence that the ACB produced made the Vice President’s corruption case unavoidable. Clearly, this resulted from multiple serious mistakes made by the ACB.
The case sheet was completely revised ten months after Chilima was detained in November 2022 on allegations that the ACB was unable to support for nearly a year.
This showed that by declaring too soon that its investigations were finished and prepared for trial, the ACB had deceived the public and the state.
Additionally, the ACB obtained evidence against Chilima from the National Criminal Agency (NCA) without following the proper legal procedures, which means that the evidence is no longer admissible in court as per the verdict of the Supreme Court in 2021.
It is not possible to prosecute someone for unlawful behavior by engaging in unlawful behavior oneself.
Furthermore, in January 2024, the Court dismissed three accusations of abuse of office against Chilima since the ACB neglected to start trial on the charges of office abuse within the allotted period.
Chamkakala demanded access to the case file in order to be evaluated when these concerns came up during the court hearings. Following two months of examination following the State’s acquisition of the case file in March 2024, the DPP determined that Chizuma’s mistakes had seriously harmed the State’s chances of winning, hence the case should be suspended.
In accordance with the rule of law and justice principles, the DPP is legally empowered to determine whether to continue a case or end it based on the evidence that has been filed.
It guarantees unbiased decision-making about prosecutions when it operates apart from political office holders.
While Chilima’s innocence is not implied by the DPP’s decision to drop the case, the State’s case has been undermined by the ACB’s handling of the case and illegal means of obtaining evidence of his purported involvement in corruption over the course of the last year in court.
And Chilima’s defense plan was about to unearth secret MDF files, which may provide enemies vital intelligence regarding Malawian troops and equipment movements in African combat zones.
Pursuing a case that was already damaged by the ACB’s mistakes was obviously not prudent given these dangers and their clear incapacity to litigate matters successfully in court.
Thus, the State and the public have to deal with a Vice President whose purported misbehavior may escape punishment because of the ACB’s legal procedural deficiencies. This underscores larger issues the ACB has when it comes to pursuing corruption matters that are subject to judicial review.
There are rumors that the DPP wrote to Parliament.
According to The Investigator Magazine, Vice President Saulos Chilima’s case has collapsed since bank accounts produced in court by the Anti-Corruption Bureau clearly show evidence connecting Zuneth Sattar to high-ranking Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members.
Because the state wishes to end the lawsuit, Vice President Saulos Chilima’s has lost ground.
Senior MCP and UTM officials are among the sources who divulge that the reasons for discontinuance have already been outlined in a letter by DPP Masauko Chamkakala to Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani NyaHara, and the announcement is anticipated shortly.
The Malawi Defence Force, whose contract Chilima is alleged to have benefitted from influencing its award to Zuneth Sattar’s, has been the subject of multiple judgments by High Court Judge Redison Kapindu, sitting in Financial Crimes Court, over the past year. Chilima has been forced to prove her case.
Right now, the bank statements are the main issue. About his transactions and payments to Malawi, they include some extremely fascinating facts. According to a source familiar with the situation, the remarks made in court will become public knowledge and therefore a political bomb.
The Defence Council minutes, which are presided over by President Chakwera, were requested by Chilima’s team. However, Kapindu, who ordered the evidence brought to him, determined that although the minutes contained sensitive national security information, they may still be disclosed in court if the defense requested it.
The final month for ACB’s Chizuma.
Sattar’s case has always been intended to be dropped, but the departure of ACB Director General Martha Chizuma was perceived as a roadblock. The goal of wrapping up politically touchy cases before her contract expires this month is to give the impression that she has given her approval.
