Veep Usi afraid to appear before ACB, gets injunction
Vice President Michael Usi has rushed to High Court to obtain a stay order permitting him not appear before ACB for questioning following his repeated public statements that there is rampant corruption in the MCP government.
For the past three weeks, Usi has been telling people at campaign rallies that there are a lot of corrupt people in the MCP government.
Usi , popularly known as Manganya, maintained his strong stance on corruption within the government during a rally he held at Ulongwe Trading Center in Balaka and several other places, signalling that he had evidence to back his allegations.
However, in a surprise twist of events, Usi went o the High Court seeking permission to apply for judicial review against the decision of the Acting Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) inviting him for questioning and requiring him to produce or furnish documents in support of his claims.
On 29th August 2025, the Acting Director of the Bureau summoned Usi to Answer Questions and to Produce or Furnish Documents addressed to ACB in accordance to sections 11(1)(b) and 11(1)(c), read together with section 49A, of the Corrupt Practices Act.
” Take Notice that I require you to avail yourself before Officers of the Anti- Corruption Bureau at the Anti-Corruption Bureau offices in Lilongwe on 1st September 2025 at 14 hours to answer questions in connection with an investigation which is being conducted by the said Anti-Corruption Bureau. The questions will focus on allegations of corruption by Senior Public Officers that you have been making in public,” reads the summon from ACB.
ACB further requested Usi to produce or furnish ACB within 24 hours proof of his corruption allegations.
” I further require you to produce or furnish me within 24 hours of service of this Notice on you with all the original documents or certified true copies of all documents in relation to the said allegations of corruption by Senior Public Officers that you have been making in public which are in your possession or under your control and which the Anti-Corruption Bureau considers necessary for the conduct of an investigation into an alleged or suspected offence under the Corrupt Practices Act.” reads the Summons.
However, in his application to the High Court for a stay order, Usi contends that the demands by the ACB are an infringement on his freedom of expression and made in bad faith with the ulterior purpose of frustrating his political campaign and intimidating him in the exercise of his constitutional rights.
In his ruling, High Court Judge Redson Kapindu has restrained ACB and its agents from summoning Usi until the official campaign is over.
” That in summary, implementation of the Notice to Answer Questions and to Produce or Furnish Documents herein, albeit with reasonable Notice being issued, is only stayed for the duration of the official campaign period as prescribed under the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, but the threat of criminal prosecution for non-compliance with the abovesaid Notice, in terms of Section 49A of the Corrupt Practices Act, is stayed until final determination of the judicial review herein,” reads the judgement.
The Court has also ruled that spirit of Section 8 is clear the Deputy Director of ACB has the requisite authority, in any event, to issue such notices and indeed exercise any other functions and duties that a Director must perform.
A governance expert Charles Chirwa has described Usi’s action as very strange saying the ACB summons were an opportunity for him to prove his allegations of wanton corruption in government.
” This only means the allegations Usi has been making are just hot air meant to score political points. He may not have the evidence to prove his allegations,” lamented Chirwa.
President Lazarous Chakwera appointed Usi as Vice President following the death of Saulos Chilima in a tragic plane crash in June last year.
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