Just hours after summoning Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General Martha Chizuma to police headquarters in Area 30 this morning, the Malawi Police Service has halted the planned interrogation.
According to MPS Deputy Public Relations Officer Harry Namwaza, the suspension comes in the wake of public outcry on the intentions and motivations of the police on the Chizuma saga.
Namwaza says the police were just responding to court order which requested them to investigate if the ACB boss has a case to answer under the Corrupt Practices Act as Chizuma is suspected to have broken her oath of secrecy through a leaked audio.
The case was brought before the Mzuzu Magistrate Court by a private citizen Frighton Mphompho.
“The Malawi Police has learnt that some citizens are mobilising to demonstrate against the MPS for complying with a court order to interview the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ms. Martha Chizuma, as a person of interest in a matter about which the court needs to establish facts,” Namwaza says in a statement.
He added that the MPS recognizes the right to demonstrate but the police is also bound by the law and committed to comply with court orders.
“The MPS recognizes its responsibility to ensure that it conducts its operations and carries out its constitutional mandate in a transparent manner so that the public is protected from misinformation about its actions or motivations,” he said.
According to Namwaza, the police will instead host a news conference on Monday, April 25th, to address any public queries about the court order.
