Arrested magistrate granted bail
The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday granted bail to a magistrate Harry Ngulube who is suspected to have committed offences under Corrupt Practices Act.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday this week arrested Ngulube, a third grade magistrate at Chiseka Court in Mitundu, Lilongwe, for allegedly soliciting advantage to rule in favour of parties in matrimonial disputes.
ACB principal public relations officer Egrita Ndala in an interview said the suspect was among others ordered to pay K50 000 cash bond and another K50 000 non-cash bond, surrender travel documents and report to the ACB every fortnight.
She said the bureau received a complaint in 2019 and investigated the matter.
Reads the statement in part: “The ACB investigations established that His worship Ngulube solicited advantage in three divorce cases involving poor villagers.”
A copy of the warrant of arrest shows Ngulube was charged with corruptly soliciting and receiving an advantage contrary to Section 24(1)of the Corrupt Practices Act and misuse of public office contrary to Section 25B(1) of the same Act.
Particulars of the offences include that the suspect in 2016 corruptly solicited K350 000 from village head Mvunguti to rule in favour of distribution of matrimonial property in a divorce case. The magistrate is also accused of soliciting K150 000 and 28 bags of maize the same year from the same village head.
The suspect is also suspected to have corruptly received an advantage in 2018 in form of K70 000 for his own use from Siyeni Yepitala to rule in favour of the giver in the distribution of matrimonial property in a divorce case.
The other count alleges that in the same year, the magistrate corruptly received K100 000 from Henry Kupatsa to rule in favour of the giver in the distribution of matrimonial property in a divorce case.
The statement adds that the magistrate will be taken to court after being interviewed by bureau officers. Said Ndala: “We will inform the media when the suspect will be taken to court after the bureau is through with the questioning.”
