Three weeks after the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court stopped the police from searching former president Lazarus Chakwera’s private residence to trace purportedly missing State dogs, authorities are yet to challenge the order.
The State’s inaction has prompted governance commentators to fault authorities and warn that the silence has the potential to erode public trust.
Police had obtained an order for a search for four dogs, one Dutch shepherd and three Malinois which reportedly went missing from Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during the presidential transition period after the September 16 2025 General Election. The dogs are valued at about K4 million.
Attorney General Frank Mbeta was yet to respond to The Nation questionnaire seeking an explanation on why the State is yet to contest the order while Director of Public Prosecutions Fostino Maele referred the matter to Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Frank Namangale. However, Namangale had also not responded by press time at 9pm.
Meanwhile, governance experts have said the silence raises accountability concerns.
In an interview yesterday, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said the development poses serious questions about the State’s commitment to enforcing the law.
“When a State agency allows a court order to halt its operations without mounting a challenge, it may signal negligence, weak coordination or lack of resolve to act in the public interest,” he said.
Kaiyatsa said the inaction risks creating a perception of unequal application of the law.
“It creates the impression that influential individuals can block State action while ordinary citizens face full enforcement,” he said.
In a separate interview, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira described the State’s silence as a deliberate choice, saying: “Silence is not neutral. It may suggest institutional timidity, political interference or selective enforcement, none of which aligns with accountable governance.”
The stay order was obtained by lawyer George Kadzipatike, who represented Chakwera and argued that the State misled the court when obtaining the initial search warrant.
Meanwhile, the main suspect in the case, former State Residences deputy chief of staff Godfrey Jalale was released on bail.
