New public prosecution chief tipped on coordination with ACB

The newly appointed Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Masauko Chamkakala is being challenged to render the required support to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), if the fight against graft is to be won.

Chamkakala’s predecessor, Steven Kayuni was faulted for frustrating the bureau’s operations as he on different occasions reportedly denied the ACB consent to prosecute cases.

In January last year, Kayuni refused to grant the ACB consent to prosecute businessman Zuneth Sattar’s agent Kumar Sreedharan, also known as Ashok Nair, and four other accomplices in corrupt related offenses on grounds that the bureau had not provided a complete report on the same.

The development forced President Lazarus Chakwera to demand an intermediary between the ACB chief, the then DPP as well as Attorney General which was to be mediated by Justice Minister Titus Mvalo.

Interim vice chairperson of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition Michael Kaiyatsa believes Chamkakala will put in the necessary effort to support various stakeholders in the fight against corruption.

In his address on Wednesday morning president Chakwera also made reference to a recommendation by the commission of inquiry on the need for interagency cooperation if the fight against corruption is to be won.

“I have taken note of this recommendation and have directed the Secretary to the President and Cabinet to bring the heads of the relevant institutions together over the next few weeks to agree on an administrative framework for their interagency cooperation going forward,” Chakwera said.

The president went on to say; “So no matter what anybody says, my Administration has no interest in supporting a losing Anti-Corruption strategy that promotes interagency discord”.

The newly appointed Public prosecution head could not be reached for comment on the development.

Chamkakala who until his appointment was serving as director of the Legal Aid Bureau, is a trained lawyer with an LLB Honors Law Degree from University of Malawi, Masters Degree in Women’s Law from University of Zimbabwe and LLM in Good Governance and Rule of Law from Ohio Northern University.