The Dedza Senior Resident Magistrate court has today convicted and ordered two women Olivia Mazinga, 23 and Ivy Nkhata,20 to pay a fine of K650,000.00 each, or in default serve a 6 months imprisonment with hard labour for being found in possession of medical drugs without a license.
The court, through state prosecutor Inspector Dickson Chipote, heard that Nkhata and Mazinga were arrested around Panda Superstore in Dedza District after receiving a tip-off from members of the public.
Magistrate James Mankhwazi sentenced the two to each to pay a fine of K150,000.00 for the first count, K100, 000.00 for the second count and K400, 000.00 for the third count or in default serve 6 months imprisonment with hard labour as a deterrent to other would be-offenders.
The medical drugs are to be forfeited to Malawi Government, in this respect to Dedza District Hospital.
247 Malawi journalist McLloyd Kudzingo won the Best Online Sports Journalist award during the TNM Super League awards presentation ceremony held last night at Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
Kudzingo beat 6 other contestants namely Edwin Mbewe of The Maravi Post, Eric Chiputula, Anthony Isaiah and Pemphero Musowa.
Speaking after receiving the award Kudzingo said he was very excited with the award.
“I feel honored, because this is obviously a big award,” said Kudzingo.
Kudzingo receiving his award
“I want to thank TNM, Sulom and the Judges for recognizing my work, and I would also like to thank my family, friends and the 247 family for their support,” he said.
Other media award winners include Joy Ndovie from Nation Publications Limited who won the Best Print Journalist of the Year and Frank Kandu of Radio 2 FM for the Best Radio Journalist of the year.
The Best Television Journalist of the year award went to Idah Mwambazi of Mibawa Television.
Richard Isaah of Television Islam won the Best Camera Person award while Mabvuto Kambuwe of Times Group won the Best Analyst Award.
Veteran Broadcaster Steve Liwewe Banda won the Best Commentator Award, radio category.
The awards are held annually to reward the most outstanding players, coaches, teams as well as journalists in the TNM Super League.
Secretary to the office of President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba acted within her mandate to interdict the embattled Anti Corruption Bureau Director General Martha Chizuma.
On 31 January ,2023, Secretary to the Offfice of President and Cabinet interdicted Director General of Anti Corruption Bureaus (ACB) to pave way for smooth court cases that she was answering.
In a letter addressed to Chizuma, SPC Collen Zamba said her office has received communication that Chizuma was answering case number 236 of 2023.
“I have received a report of the Criminal Court Case Number 236 of 2023 sitting at Lilongwe before the Chief Resident Magistrate, where you are answering the following charges First Count: Making use of speech calculated to lower the authonity of a person before whom a judicial proceeding is being had, contrary to Section 113 (d) of the Penal Code, Second Count: Making use of speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings, contrary to Section 113 (d) of the Penal Code,” reads the letter in part.
Zamba
According to the letter, the allegations constituted serious misconduct of a public officer and an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official in terms of section 49B of the Corrupt Practices (Amendment) Act 2004 Ant-Corruption Bureau Standing Order Numbers D/18 (2) and D/18 (9), Sections 4 (4.5); 6 (6.1); 6 (63) and 14 (14.1) of Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour of the Ant-Corruption Bureau, Maiawi Pubic Service Regulations (MPSR) 1:201 (6), 1201 (11).1201 (17) and 1:201 (19) and Contract Clause Articles I and 1 of your employment contract of 1 June 202.
However legal practitioners who confered in us Zamba was right because according to Section 4.1 of the Corrupt Practices Act, the Bureau shall be a Government Department and the finances of the Bureau shall be charged to the Consolidated Fund.
Section 3 of the same chapter, Bureau shall exercise its functions and powers independent of the direction or interference of any other person or authority while submitting reports to the President and to the Minister regarding the general conduct of the affairs of the Bureau.
Again , MPSR 2010, Regulations which apply to the employees of the Malawi Public Service, Government does not discriminate any person on the basis of gender, race, language, political or other opinion, ethnic or social origin, property, birth, religion, disability or other status.
And according to the CPA Contract Officer means an officer employed for a specified period of time under a written contract. “Employee” means a person who has a contract of employment with the Government of the Republic of Malaŵi. “Public Officer” means a person holding or acting in an office of emolument in the public service.
And Chizuma falls in all those listed categories. As employee, as contract officer and also public officer and an employee of the Malawi Public Service at a Government Department.
Information reaching this publication indicates that the High Court in Blantyre has sentenced former Judiciary Spokesperson Mlenga Mvula to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour for being found guilty of soliciting money and other favours in pretence of High Court Judges and Attorney General’s office.
The High Court Judge Justice Sylvester Kalembera has suspended 8 charges against him while his co-accused Pastor Daniel Mhone has been given a suspended two year sentence.
Mlenga Mvula
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Mvula along with Mhone in September 2017 for allegedly soliciting the money purportedly for the Attorney General’s office, High Court judges and himself to influence the outcome of a court case involving Reverend Jawati and the United Methodist Church.
Police in Rumphi are keeping in custody 45 Ethiopians for allegedly entering into the country illegally.
According to Rumphi Police Spokesperson Sergeant Tupeliwe Kabwilo,the illegal immigrants were arrested on Tuesday February 14,2023 at Bwengu on the M1 Road.
Kabwilo said Police were told that a motor vehicle registration number KA657 Canter Lorry, coming from Karonga going towards Mzuzu was carrying 45 illegal immigrants suspected to be Ethiopians.
This prompted the officers to rush to the said place.
“Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver did not comply and instead, started cruising fast, but police officers followed the vehicle until at a point where the driver abandoned it and took cover,” said Kabwilo.
He said currently, all suspects are being kept at Rumphi police station and will appear before court soon.
