Malawi judge out of hiding

Malawi’s High Court Judge Ivy Kamanga, who faced threats for releasing 11 treason suspects out on bail two weeks ago, is back from hiding and has reported for duties.

Judiciary spokesperson Mike Tembo said in an interview on Wednesday that Kamanga, who reportedly went into hiding over the weekend after the threats made to her through telephone calls, was reporting for duties normally.

National Police Headquarters spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo said in an interview police were still carrying out investigations to trace the source of the threats, but there were no arrests so far.

The Malawi Law Society (MLS) has condemned those who issued such unwarranted threats.

Reads a press statement published in The Nation on Wednesday: “We also appeal to the Judiciary and individual judicial officers to remain resolute and true to the Constitution and all laws. We shall continue to speak out against any attempts by any person, group or authority to subvert the Judiciary.”

The lawyers’ body, in the statement signed by its president Mandala Mambulasa and secretary Felisah Kilembe, said issuing threats against judicial officers or interfering in any way with performance of its or their duties is an assault on the rule of law.

Judge Kamanga on March 14 granted bail to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) acting president Peter Mutharika and 10 others that included interdicted chief secretary to the government Bright Msaka, arrested on various roles they played following the death of late president Bingu wa Mutharika.

Reports indicated that Kamanga was in hiding after anonymous people telephoned her and warned her that they would raid her house for granting bail to the treason suspects.

There was a speculation that the threats might have originated from sympathisers of the ruling People’s Party (PP) administration, angered by the release of the suspects.

But Information and Civic Education Minister Moses Kunkuyu distanced government from such acts.

Kunkuyu argued the PP administration upholds the rule of law and suggested the threats might have originated from those involved in the case to discredit the PP administration.