Malawi’s anti-corruption chief Martha Chizuma was briefly detained on Tuesday for allegedly tarnishing the government’s image after a leaked audio in which she complained of lack of political will to rid the country of graft.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) chief was picked up by armed police officers during a dawn raid at her Lilongwe house.
She was charged with “making use of speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings”, after she claimed in the leaked audio that a top state official was “corrupt and compromised”.
In the leaked audio, Chizuma is heard telling a non-ACB person about the difficulties encountered by the bureau and how its work is being frustrated by politicians and civil servants.
She is accused of breaching the oath of secrecy, with critics calling for her sacking.
Chizuma is highly regarded for her strong stance in the fight against corruption – which has led to the indictment of the vice-president, one cabinet minister and the head of police service.
JN/APA