Nine civil society organisations (CSOs) have blamed the Judiciary for slowing down the fight against corruption citing delays to conclude cases and failure to hold to account judges and officers embroiled in bribery allegations.

They argue that, instead, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) suffers public backlash when cases drag.

Kajoloweka makes a point as HRDC national chairperson Gift Trapence looks on

The CSOs include Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Youth and Society (YAS), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, National Advocacy Platform, Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, Centre for Civil Society Strengthening and Civil Society Coalition on Accountability and Transparency.

The CSOs launched the attack during a press conference in Lilongwe yesterday where they shared their views on the country’s governance status and the legal tussles between government and ACB director general Martha Chizuma.

The CSO said they met Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda on Thursday where they raised concerns about the Judiciary’s conduct and, also, called for discontinuation of Chizuma charges.

Nyirenda, in a response to our questionnaire, only confirmed the meeting with the CSOs, but was mute on his stand on issues the CSO leaders raised.

In his contribution, YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka said: “Overall, the Judiciary in this country is hardly accountable to anyone. If you look at the whole fight against corruption, the Judiciary is very central in facilitating justice.

“However, cases take forever when they have gone to the Judiciary and, at times, the failure by Judiciary to expeditiously deal with the cases has been blamed on ACB.”

The C S O s c i t e d t h e unconcluded former president Bakili Muluzi’s K1.7 billion corruption case, which started in 2009.

The CSOs further turned their accusing fingers on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), for failing to take action against judges who were implicated in businessperson Zuneth Sattar’s alleged corruption syndicate.

“We also know that the Sattar case touches on some judicial officers. Have we ever heard from the Judicial Service Commission how they are dealing with those that probably have been indicted through the report?

“There is no accountability of judicial officers. Even in cases where you see impunity by judicial officers there is little or nothing that is being done by the JSC,” Kajoloweka said.

The CSOs have since revealed that they have sought an audience with the Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo and Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda to pressure them to initiate Judiciary reforms which would make it more effective.

Registrar of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal Kondwani Banda had not responded to our questionnaire as we went to press. n

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