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Crime & Justice

Crime & Justice Brief: Zomba Court Jails 15 for Robbery as ACB Deploys Surveillance Vehicles

Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Photo: Face of Malawi

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has launched a surveillance vehicle to patrol government offices identified as corruption hotspots, according to Nyasa Times. ACB Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi stated the deployment is intended to bring enforcement closer to public service delivery areas and act as a rapid response tool against the abuse of public office.

In Zomba, the Principal Resident Magistrate's Court has sentenced 15 men to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbery and burglary, Face of Malawi reports. Chief Resident Magistrate Roderick Michongwe agreed with prosecutors that the syndicate, which stole over K6 million in property while armed with axes and pangas in January 2025, was highly organised across multiple districts.

The High Court in Zomba has granted a stay against a decision by the National Council for Higher Education and the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority to ban qualifications from the Business Management Education Centre. According to Nyasa Times, Justice Dick Sankhulani permitted a judicial review of the regulators' actions, allowing students to proceed with their scheduled examinations while the legal dispute is resolved.

Update: The High Court in Lilongwe has given the government and four redeployed police commissioners time to negotiate a potential out-of-court settlement over their disputed reassignments. Nyasa Times reports that Judge William Msiska adjourned the case to March 25, 2026, after lawyer Khumbo Soko and Attorney General Frank Mbeta confirmed preliminary discussions are underway regarding the commissioners, who were recently stripped of their operational duties and official vehicles.

Sources

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