Malawi Court Dismisses Abuse of Office Case Against Former Minister
By Burnett Munthali…….
A Malawi court has discharged former Homeland Security Minister and three senior officials in an abuse of public office case after the State repeatedly failed to produce witnesses and comply with court orders.
The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Blantyre ruled that the prosecution’s continued delays and failure to disclose relevant documents led to the dismissal of the case.
The court had issued an order in April 2024 directing the State to provide the required documents, granting several extensions and sufficient time to comply or explain the delays.
Lawyer , representing Chandiwira Chidothe, applied for the discharge or dismissal of the case, arguing that the State had shown no meaningful progress in prosecuting the matter.
In its ruling, the court noted that the State appeared either unable or unwilling to proceed with the prosecution and had failed to provide convincing reasons for seeking another adjournment.
The case, which dates back to 2022, centred on allegations of abuse of public office linked to the 2017 recruitment of immigration constables.
