Malawi Court Rules ACB Abused Power in Msukwa Case
Published on June 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM by Edgar Naitha
Supreme Court Justice Frank Kapanda has ruled that Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) abused its power by obtaining evidence from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) without going through the Attorney General’s office.
The ruling came in the case of Kezzie Msukwa, a former lands minister, who was arrested in connection with alleged corruption involving businessman Zuneth Sattar.
Kapanda agreed with Msukwa’s legal team that the ACB acted improperly in sourcing foreign evidence. As a result, evidence obtained from the NCA cannot be used in the cases involving Msukwa and Sattar’s associate, Ashok Kumar.
However, the court upheld the legality of Msukwa’s arrest, stating that the ACB had valid warrants.
The judges nonetheless criticised the ACB for using handcuffs on Msukwa while he was in a coma.
Msukwa’s lawyer, Chimwemwe Kalua, said that only evidence obtained lawfully in Malawi should be used in the High Court.
One of the ACB’s prosecutors, Bernard Mlozoa Phiri, said the bureau would clarify its next steps in the case.
