Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba has moved to challenge her warrant of arrest in connection with the her role in the Amaryllis Hotel deal.
In the application filed at Mkukula Magistrate’s Court in Lumbadzi, her lawyer, George Kadzipatike, is contending that the State is victimising his client and that it should instead proceed by way of summons, which is a less punitive method of initiating criminal proceedings.
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Meanwhile, the court has set April 7 2026 for hearing the application.
Judiciary spokesperson Ruth Mputeni in an interview yesterday confirmed both the warrant and the hearing date.
Kadzipatike said a criminal case Number 266 of 2026 was registered against Zamba on March 26 on charges of abuse of office.
He said the State subsequently obtained a warrant of arrest, but is yet to be executed.
“The State proceeded to obtain a warrant of arrest against our client which is yet to be executed,” reads a March 31 letter to Parliament seen by The Nation.
He claimed that arrest warrants have also been obtained for five other individuals in related matters. They include former pension fund principal officer Boyd Hamela, former State Residences chief of staff Prince Kapondamgaga and Office of the President and Cabinet legal adviser Chizaso Nyirongo.
In an affidavit supporting the application, Kadzipatike argues the warrant is unnecessary, noting that Zamba is already on bail in two separate criminal cases before Lilongwe magistrates’ courts.
“The State is victimising her and abusing its powers of arrest,” the affidavit reads.
Court documents include a copy of a medical report dated March 11 2026 from South Africa-based specialist physician Dr. Robert Khonje, indicating that Zamba was referred for further evaluation and to a gynaecologist, with an appointment scheduled for March 17.
The documents also include a March 17 order from the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe extending her stay in South Africa pending determination of an application.
Zamba is already facing two other cases: Criminal Case Number 1689 of 2025, in which she is charged with abuse of office, and Criminal Case Number 323 of 2026, where she faces a charge of conspiracy to commit a crime.
National Police spokesperson Lael Chimtembo said on Wednesday he was yet to receive details from investigators.
Meanwhile, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has resolved to proceed with its report on the Amaryllis Hotel transaction without Zamba’s testimony.
PAC has been investigating the hotel sale since last year. Witnesses, including former pension fund board members, testified that Zamba urged the Public Service Pension Trust Fund to proceed with and finalise the purchase.
Attorney General Frank Mbeta also questioned her involvement, saying the Office of the President and Cabinet has no mandate in the fund’s affairs.
