By Burnett Munthali
The Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee has suspended its investigation into corruption allegations against High Court Judge Ken Manda, opting to hand over the matter to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for further action.
During an emergency press conference held at Parliament, Committee Chairperson Peter Dimba announced that after seeking advice on the issue, the committee decided to leave the investigation in the hands of the JSC. Dimba emphasized that the committee does not want to act as both prosecutor and judge, which is why it has referred the case to the appropriate authority.
“This is a very serious matter, and if the investigation proceeds, it could lead to the judge’s impeachment. The recommendations from the investigation will be sent to Parliament for further action,” Dimba explained.
He reassured the public that the investigation will be conducted thoroughly by the JSC, along with the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), so there should be no cause for concern. If the JSC fails to take action, Dimba noted, the MHRC is also capable of pursuing the case.
This is not the first time Parliament has referred a case involving Judge Manda to the JSC. In 2022, similar corruption allegations were submitted to the commission for investigation, showing the ongoing concerns over the judge’s conduct.
