President Lazarus Chakwera has avoided commenting directly on the suspension of the Anti-Corruption Bureau-ACB director Martha Chizuma in two public events, in Lilongwe yesterday.

Chakwera presided over the 2022/23 National Development Conference at BICC and the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed and promoted cabinet ministers at Kamuzu Palace.

While the citizenry eagerly waited to hear from Chakwera who is the appointing authority on the suspension of the ACB chief on Tuesday, he avoided tackling the subject.

This comes as a surprise as the president commented on the leaked phone conversation between Chizuma and her colleague over her work, in which he defied calls to fire her.

Chakwera also reacted with shock when the ACB chief was arrested late last year; he ordered her unconditional release and all the charges to be withdrawn.
A letter signed by the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, states that Chizuma’s interdiction follows her serious misconduct on the leaked conversation.