The Mkukula Magistrate’s Court in Lumbadzi has halted the execution of two arrest warrants against former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba, ordering that she be brought to court by summons instead.
First grade magistrate Kondani Chinangwa ruled on Friday that issuing warrants against Zamba was “excessive and disproportionate”, noting that she is already on bail in two other matters and has not breached any bail conditions.
The magistrate confirmed that the two criminal matters — case numbers 266 of 2026 and 286 of 2026 — were duly registered at the court and initiated by the State.
Zamba. I Nation
Chinangwa said the discretion to issue a warrant under Section 84 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code must be exercised judicially, taking into account all relevant factors.
“A warrant of arrest is a coercive process that limits the liberty of an individual and should ordinarily be resorted to where there is a risk of abscondment, non-compliance or where a summons would be ineffective,” he said..
The magistrate also described as “an anomaly”
State’s failure to bring a copy of the warrant for filing.
Zamba’s lawyer George Kadzipatike had asked the court to set aside the warrants and order that she be summoned to appear under Section 84 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code.
He argued that Zamba was currently outside Malawi on medical grounds, with her absence sanctioned by a competent court and she had complied with all bail conditions set in her previous matters.
The State, through lawyer Prescott Mwayiulipo, objected to the application, arguing that the defence had failed to produce copies of the warrants to prove their existence.
Mwayiulipo also questioned whether the Malawi Police Service or the Anti-Corruption Bureau had obtained the warrants.
However, Chinangwa confirmed from the court register that two criminal cases had indeed been registered against Zamba at the Mkukula Court.
In his ruling, he noted that the State’s powers of arrest must be exercised within the confines of the law and subject to judicial oversight.
“The court is of the view the accused person was already granted bail, is adhering to conditions and did seek leave of the court,” the magistrate said, adding that the State’s action appeared more like persecution than prosecution.
The ruling brings temporary relief to Zamba, who is facing three separate criminal cases.
She was first arrested on December 3 2025 at Kamuzu International Airport over allegations of irregularly recruiting about 300 people into the public service without following procedures.
She is currently on bail in that matter.
In February 2026, she was re-arrested alongside former minister of agriculture Sam Kawale and former minister of finance Sosten Gwengwe for conspiracy to commit a crime and abuse of office linked to the controversial K200 billion East Bridge fertiliser supply deals.
The trio was later granted bail.
The latest warrants relate to allegations of money laundering and abuse of office linked to the controversial sale of Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee opened a public inquiry into the K128.7 billion transaction in March 2026, in which the Public Service Pension Trust Fund purchased the hotel from Yusuf Investments Limited.
