ACB czar flatly refuses to name suspects in judges bribery issue

Graft-busting Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Reyneck Matemba, under intense pressure and fire from journalists to disclose names of the suspects who allegedly wanted to bribe the Constitutional Court judges over the election case, has flatly refused to do so.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday in Lilongwe, Matemba said it would be illegal to mention their names before the investigations are through and an arrest warrant of arrest.

“We can be sued as ACB. They can sue the Attorney General and the director of the ACB. We had similar cases before. In one of the cases, we were sued for K70 billion. Fortunately, I defended the case,” said Matemba.

He was referring to a lawsuit of K70 billion by the Democratic Progressive Party secretary general Grazelder Jeffrey which was thrown out by the courts.

He told the media that the Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda made the complaint to Matemba during a face to face meeting end November which was followed by a letter in December.

Matemba said his officers went to Blantyre to meet one of the two judges who were approached by the suspects whom he just described as one of them as a senior public officer and the other one works for the private sector.

He has however refused to disclose whether he met the suspects or not, saying the investigations are still going on.

Matemba also said he is not obliged to meet the president over the issue, saying the law only provides that he needed to give annual reports to the head of state, the cabinet, the ministry of Justice and Parliament.

Social media platforms are awash with reports that the suspects are veteran firebrand politician and a business tycoon.