As the corruption case involving Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima goes for plea and direction this morning Monday, July 3 at the High Court in Lilongwe, senior prosecutors at the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) have been recusing themselves citing “weak and political interference.”
Chilima, arrested in November 2022 by the ACB, stands accused of recieving $250,000 from the UK based business man to influence procurement deals at the Malawi Police Service.
The Investigator can exclusively reveal that top and senior prosecutors at the graft busting body have been reluctant to step in to prosecute the Vice President.
The prosecutors accuse their boss Director General Martha Chizuma of working in Isolation and rushing to arrest Chilima against advice from a team of prosecutors.
“Chizuma was advised that the case can not be prosecuted if she rushes to arrest Chilima before they arrest Zuneth Satter first to consolidate their case,” said our source.
Instead Chizuma – who herself has opted out – has hurriedly and forcefully assembled a three member Prosecution team comprising Chrispin Khunga, Chiwala and Saidi. The ACB has also not succeeded in securing private prosecutor.
“To be frank there is no case and even the DG (Chizuma) knows this. She was fooled by some political forces to arrest Chilima for reasons that we are yet to establish but she now feels used and dumped,” said our source.
The source said the energy that Chizuma had in November 2022 when arresting Chilima is not the same hence opting out on the case that she was supposed to lead from the front in court.
Meanwhile, we can also exclusively reveal that the Vice President has assembled a team of experienced and celebrated lawyers led by former Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale.
The team also includes Khumbo Soko, Bright Theu and George Mtchuka Mwale. This is the team that will go into a showdown with the ACB prosecutors starting today in a case that stands to attract public interest like the 2019 election case.
Justice Redson Kapindu, who ironically was one of the seven judges in the election case, is the presiding Judge.
