Retired Justice of Appeal Anthony Kamanga and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) acting director general Gabriel Chembezi are among the eight candidates shortlisted for interviews for the graft-busting body’s top job, it has emerged.
Minutes of the interview selection panel The Nation has seen show that the other shortlisted candidates are Directorate of Public Prosecutions director of criminal litigation Dzikondianthu Malunda, University of Malawi Associate Professor of Law Lewis Chezani Bande and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) acting director of legal services and company secretary Chaona Lucious Kwakwala. The others are Ascot Bruce Maluwa, Bright Sopo Mando and Francis Nyarai Ndende.
| Nation
The eight were drawn from a list of 50 applicants for the job and were shortlisted following a vetting process by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs’ selection panel.
The minutes show that the panel has withheld the candidacy of one after discrepancies emerged regarding his academic credentials which indicate that he obtained six degrees, notably four bachelor’s and two master’s degrees from the University of Salford in Manchester, United Kingdom, within seven years between 2010 and 2017.
“In view of the observation, members instructed secretariat to check with National Council of Higher Education on the authenticity of the degrees and the reputation of the Salford University,” reads the document in part.
In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs spokesperson Frank Namangale confirmed that the interview dates remain Thursday April 16 and Friday April 17, but declined to comment on the shortlisted names.
“The interviews remain on Thursday and Friday as scheduled while Wednesday April 15 is reserved for final preparations. However, matters regarding shortlisted candidates remain confidential,” he said.
The ACB director general position has been vacant since May 2024 following the expiry of Martha Chizuma’s contract, with the bureau operating under acting leadership since then.
Former president Lazarus Chakwera initially appointed deputy director-general Hillary Chilomba in an acting capacity for the statutory six-month, which was later extended pending the outcome of an independent investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman into the recruitment process.
In November 2025, after winning the September 16 General Election, President Peter Mutharika appointed Chembezi as acting director general, a role he continues to hold.
The recruitment process is guided by Section 6A of the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA), while Sections 11 and 12 vest the ACB Director General with significant powers, including authorising investigations and prosecutions.
Under the law, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs advertises the position publicly, after which a special committee, convened by the Solicitor General and Secretary for Justice conducts shortlisting and interviews before submitting three names to the President for final appointment.
