Chaponda acquittal surprises parliamentary cluster, summons Judiciary: State mishandled corruption case
Legal Affairs parliamentary cluster on Wednesday pressed on the graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on allegations that brought a week corruption case against former Agriculture minister George Chaponda inorder to secure his acquittal.
The ACB on Wednesday appeared before the cluster committee on budget related matters but the acquittal of Chaponda took centre stage and overshadowed the cluster budget meeting.
However, the ACB explanations did not convince the cluster members of parliament.
Cluster chairman Maxwell Thyolera said the cluster has now resolved to summon the Judiciary on the matter.
“Dr Chaponda himself said the huge sums of money found in his house was for the DPP but the DPP said it did not give Dr Chaponda any money to keep in his house,” said Thyolera.
He said the cluster members of parliament feel both the prosecutors and the Judiciary mishandled the Chaponda corruption case.
However, defiant ACB director Reyneck Matemba trashed the cluster membes view on the case.
“As a bureau, a law enforcement agency, our job is to ensure that justice is secured. The problem here is that we have people who are not law experts commenting on the law,” said Matemba, adding, “this is nonsense!”
Matemba told people to leave the bureau do its job without interference.
“As long as I am the director of the bureau, I will not allow this to happen,” he said.
Malawians, including the civil society organisations, have been shocked though not surprised with the decision by the ACB not to appeal against the acquittal.
Chaponda is the powerful figure in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and seen as successor to party president Peter Mutharika when he retires as party leader.
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This is the problem of having people who exaggerate themselves in influential positions. So in this day and era Matemba still believes he has the monopoly of knowledge? Really? Being a lay person in law does not mean one is an embicile and cannot even workout basic facts.
Usanyozetsa law profession. There are well-known lawyers with integrity in Malawi.
Shame on mediocrity!!!
Parliament should also summon the judiciary to find out why the MCP convention case which was before the High Court was taken to the Supreme Court before it was concluded in the lower court?
As long this ACB Head and the Chief Justice is appointed by HE himself, there is no independence in the this arm of government!
Therefore we need you legislators in Parlament, especially of opposition to look into it carefuly and if necessary you have to change it for the good of us ordinary citizens!
I congratulate you Director General. Where were these uneducated MPs when the case started? Why did they not join the case may be as friends of the court? If Thyolera is a legal expert, why can he not question the illegal convention that his party held recently? Indeed why Thyolera not advised his president not to demonstrate against the law he actively participated to formulate?
Matemba stand your ground. So too should be our judiciary. Parliament is full of half-baked and immature politicians. Shame! All of u come May 2019 you will not come back. Eat your last allowances
The Director is right. Let them make independent decisions. Parliament, do not be too excited in checking your fellow arms of government. You can’t dictate the judiciary
Director Matemba is spot on: non lawyer MPs making serious comments about a serious legal case, and trying to influence the legal decision. They don’t (maybe they can’t be expected to) have even have a clue regarding the legal technicalities in this case. Failures, fully charged with personal jealousy.
This is a nonstarter in the new political dispensation. When are our MPs going to grow up, and near maturity in the political sense?
Maybe we need a law that mandates for all MPs to be have an undergraduate degree, not the lowly MCE; only then can we expect them to understand some of the intricacies of the law, and principles of democracy.
And, a degree in religion should NOT apply, for obvious reasons.
MEC (Mulomole & Co) and the MPs are being unwise by taking this case from the legal arena to the politically charged one. And this is not acceptable.
Challenging a court ruling, in this way, is never a good thing in a democracy. The clear option is to appeal to a higher Court Courts, if these MPs can find a competent lawyer who is willing to pocket the fees, knowing very well that chances are high he/she will not win the case. And, do not use my tax money to fund such a charade.
In this day and era for a FAKE & mediocre professional to think (as some guys at ACB & one Judge seem to), that s/he has the monopoly of knowledge is actually a joke and for sure FOOLING her/himself.
On a click of a button one can have an idea of what used to be solely professional KNOWLEDGE. Of course that does not mean one becomes an expert in the field but certainly s/he cannot be fooled or taken for granted.
Unfortunately matchona ma ZIGOGO still live in the by-gone era. Still mindset that if one lived in the West then you are the BEST. My FOOT!!!
Shame on THIEVES!!!
Bwanji osangolemba Chichewa apa? Sitikumva zimene mwalembazi.
Malawians surprised? No am not one of them. John Tembo and Kamuzu Banda were acquitted of the Mwanza murder case. So who killed them? Maybe they committed suicide. Nkhani ya Chaponda nkachani?
A Matemba mpakana kutukwana mtundu onse wamalawi kuti we know nothing about law for expressing our surprise over your failure to convict Chaponda.
Ayi sikuchedwa kuchatu ukadya chamwini. Inuyo limodzi ndi aChaponda mwadya zaeni amalawi. A day of reckoning is coming with Chakwera and Mia. Tidzakuonani mmene mudzadzi defendere ndi law degree yanuyo. Behaving as if no one else has never had a law degree before, but you and Chaponda.
Mr Matemba mwayankhulatu ngati kulibe mawa. There is life after ACB unless you tell us that you will be the acb director forever. Apapa you have let your emotions influence your reasoning. Talk of emotions but why unless you are guilty conscious. I mean the CSO’s being citizens of our land defending the rights of this great nation, they too have a right to voice out their concerns when they feel justice was not served. stop being a prosecutor and a judge at the sme time. Why behave as if you are the only law scholar/expert in Malawi? Remember you are holding a public office and if you don’t like criticism then get off the way. Akulu anati ukayenda usasiye mulomo
Great insult to Malawi and our justice system
Amangwetu, so independence of the judicially and and other law enforcement agencies only applies when they are detached from the executive but be answerable and pressure by parliament and the public? Seems people had their ready made judgements they can’t let go. To most of you, judgement was already passed by the parliamentary committee on agriculture and the commission of inquiry. Leave ACB to do its job freely like the executive did!
Nawenso matemba usakulepo mtima apa…………!! When one is a lawyer it does not mean he is too perfect and or righteous and can never make mistakes and or errors!!
Iweyo si uyu ukungonyika pa mpando ulipo…………………………………!! Where on earth can a leader speak zoonunkha ngati zakozo mkumusiya pompoooooooo!! Iwe ungauze eni ndalama uklandilawo amvekere nyonyonyonyonyo………………..! Udindowo wa bungwe la ku banja kwanu kapena ukuimila eni ndalama a Malawi? Paja kwanu ndi kuti Reyneck?
Chidzete cha munthuuuuuuuuuu ichi ndithudi! Tachionani………………! Ndimadabwatu ine kuti chifukwa chani unatenga nthawi kuti akupatse udindo umenewo? Now I know the reasons …………. & its ‘coz ndinu achitsiru kwambiri zediiiiiiiiiiiii Awanso ndi olakwitsa anzao bwanji!!
Mr. Matemba, one does not need to have gone to school to be able to competently comment on matters of law. Some of us are born lawyers and all we need is the legal jargon you employ in order to confuse non lawyers. Tell me, do we not have real law experts who are at the moment languishing in jail. They failed to defend themselves. Look, even Father Mwinganyama predicted two or three weeks before the judgement that the case would be thrown out. Why did you take it up, in the first place, if you are worth your profession? Can’t you see you are making a fool of yourself by uttering such statements?
he is become as arrogant as his masters. He is a quick learner. Don’t worry, he will goo the same way like every criminal in the world. If he’s not going to be punished on this earth then certainly in Jahena.
In fact Matemba has just said as it is. If ACB and judges start taking your prejudices and emotions, the country will be hell and ungovernable. We have always cried for the independence of the judicially and all other law enforcement agencies from the executive arm of government, what is this pressure and summoning all about? Is partisan parliament and partisan CSOs taking over?
Is it not naive to believe that anyone was born a lawyer?
I thought to be a lawyer one had to be conferred that professional title by a legally constituted professional body?
Its indeed nonsense! These are the very same people who call for the independence of ACB and now they want to influence the decision of the courts. Utter rubbish! Matemba is right!
Where are these ACB finding the guts of answering Malawians like that?How on earth Matembo can answer people that “THIS IS NONSENSE”when people are advising him to appeal.That shows he knows something and they were just brain washing Malawians as if they are taking the Chaponda’s case serous while they are meeting in the dark corners.Where is this Country going now it seems everyone who is being appointed by this government is corrupt?
Appeal with which evidence, the same one thrown out? Makani komanso mkwiyo wopanda mzeru.
As former employee of ACB now in diaspora, i concur with Matemba who is the DG of the graft busting body. The Bureau works on available evidence and not hearsays that accuse , try and convict a suspect. Do not politicize the case. The man was arrested, investigations undertaken, matter taken taken to an independent tribunal and due process of the law followed. If the Court has found him with no case to answer and the ACB- an Independent Institution says it can not appeal against the ruling , why demonise Reneck?
He is a learned staff and should not not be intimidated by jealousy people who always wish others bad
Another dull comment by Mulopwana
Where is your smart comment, Mr/Ms Brainy?
Nanunso inu disapora, disapora wachaninso apa!! If the taxes are paid by us, does he have powers to term what the tax payers nonsense? Where was he trained? Are his statements portraying good of him? Inu ngati ku disaporako mwasowa zochita, osangogona bwanji?
Koma mixing up issues, nawe iwe @ Central: What do Matemba’s comments have to do with tax payers? Are you that easily confused?
This is about technical issues in the Law.
Birds of the same feathers they always flock together.Who appointed this Matembo,its not the ruling party?And who did the wrong things,its the ruling party.What do you expect the outcome?
Zimenezo tikanachita ife amphawi tikanamangidwa Tele Wachitayo ngolamula boma and also ndi mnzawo WA president,where is our nation going.
we want Chambo for ACB….. not Matemba ayi. Too small for a huge task
Mr Matemba, it is nonsense that ACB was unable to prove any wrongdoing in Dr Chaponda’s shenanigans. The reason why even a street kid is questioning your judgement and integrity is because ACB has behaved in a clear unprofessional manner resembling that of a law enforcement captured by party politics. It is not that ACB doesn’t have qualified investigators; the general population is just disappointed that the investigators and prosecutors have presented a weak case of an otherwise water-tight case. A lawyer’s only asset is his integrity and ACB lawyers have demonstrated in a number of times that they don’t any and Mr Matemba you and I know it. If you were a man of ethics and integrity, the case would have gone the complete opposite. Mr Matemba please be driven by your conscious………money and power are finite. At some point you’ll account to your maker. Save your family and save your soul.
And Mr Matemba should be reminded that voice of the people is voice of God.
All along, I had respect for Matemba and I had confidence in him. I was excited when he was appointed ACB Director. But now I have realized that he is just another boot-licker who is there to shield those connected with ruling party.
Indeed this is not the katemba we all know. He has now sold his soul and his family to the wolves to fund his girlfriend’s lifestyle.
If you were such a legal expert how did you proceed with the case you did not believe had no merit? After investigations you were convinced that Chaponda had a case to answer and what are you telling us now Mr legal expert?
Its obvious , the bureau proceeded with the case because the Csos, media & other people made a lot of noise. If ACB had not done anything that time do you think zikanatha bwino? Ma demo sakanakhalako?.
Your assumption is that ACB’s evidence can not be contested and crushed by competent lawyers on the defense side? It is people like you and your gullible biased parliamentary committees who pressure the ACB to prosecute Chaponda based on politics and public opinion. You had already judged and convicted him, now you are shocked?