By The Forum

Malawi’s former Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba, was granted bail by the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate Court on Friday after spending two nights in police custody.

Zamba has been charged with abuse of office over allegations that she irregularly facilitated the recruitment of more than 300 people into various public institutions between 2022 and 2023. The state argues that she unlawfully exercised her official authority in breach of government regulations.

The court has given the state 14 days to finalize disclosures and prepare the case, after prosecutors requested additional time due to ongoing investigations. Zamba is expected to take a plea once the disclosures are complete.

In his ruling, Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda said bail could not be denied because the charge before the court is a minor offence.

Zamba’s bail conditions include reporting to Area 30 Police every two weeks, surrendering her travel documents, seeking court approval before traveling abroad, and using her Area 43 residence as bail bond.

Police arrested Zamba on Wednesday morning at Kamuzu International Airport as she prepared to travel to Geneva, Switzerland for her child’s graduation ceremony. She was not taken to court on Thursday as scheduled after prosecutors reportedly received last-minute instructions not to proceed.

Her arrest has drawn significant public interest, with observers noting her perceived influence in the previous administration. Media reports have linked her to procurement disputes and internal power struggles within government.

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Bail Conditions image above by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

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