Court Observer
Zomba magistrate has issued an order quashing the warrant of arrest obtained by ACB on Dr Thomson Mpinganjira.
ACB Director General, Reyneck Matemba, has confirmed of the order by Zomba Magistrate Court.
NEWS UPDATE
As Malawians went to sleep, in the dead of the night, this is what happened:
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Thomson Mpinganjira was released from Blantyre Police Station after his lawyers obtained a court order quashing warrant of arrest issued and effected by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday.
The Order by a magistrate at Zomba Magistrate’s Court bears no name of a magistrate but it is signed and was obtained by lawyers from Ritz Law Firm.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Reyneck Matemba has scoffed at the decision by the magistrate as shocking and abuse of office.
“This is disgusting. Abuse of court process. It exposes how rotten the judiciary is,” Matemba said.
Matemba says he was phoned to be served court orders from Zomba Magistrate Court at 12.05 midnight by Mr Chipiliro Mpinganjira, one of the lawyers representing Thom Mpinganjira.
Almost same time around 12.05 the Inspector General of Police Duncan Mwapasa also phoned ACBDG Matemba about the order which had been served on police and lawyer Chipiliro Mpinganjira followed up with another phone call.
The Order quashes the earlier warrant of arrest obtained by ACB from Lilongwe Magistrates Court but does not specify the reasons for the decision. ACB says this is a very strange legal practice.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) around midnight was served with orders by a magistrate to release Thom Mpinganjira, the CEO of FDH bank whom it had arrested in connection with a plot to bribe judges hearing the #ElectionsCase.
