Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, the new president of the UTM party and former head of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, is under a lot of pressure. The High Court in Lilongwe has refused to stop his trial, where he faces serious accusations of misusing government money.
On Tuesday, Judge Redson Kapindu said no to Kabambe’s request to pause the trial. Kabambe is being charged with planning to spend government funds without permission from Parliament and giving wrong information to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These are big accusations that question his honesty and how public money is managed.
Kabambe’s lawyer, Fostino Mayere, wanted the court to wait for feedback from Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee. Kabambe had sent them a petition last month. But the judge said they should talk directly to the Committee, as only it can ask the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to take action.
In court, Kabambe’s lawyers also said the State did not provide all the needed documents. They claimed only the IMF’s side of the story was shared, not Kabambe’s. They also argued that Kabambe shouldn’t be blamed alone because the Reserve Bank’s board made the financial decisions together.
Despite all this, the court decided the trial should move forward. This could affect Kabambe’s future in politics.
Is Kabambe’s Political Career at Risk?
As the new UTM leader, Kabambe was expected to bring new energy to the party and maybe even run for president one day. But with this court case going on, things have become more difficult for him.
Many people are now wondering: Can Kabambe lead a party while being on trial? Will people still trust him? Or will the trial hurt his image too much?
The court also made another decision in a connected case. It told the State to explain the charges against Cliff Chiunda, the former Secretary to the Treasury. His lawyer, Kalekeni Kaphale, said the charges were too unclear for a fair defence.
Both Kabambe and Chiunda are accused of money laundering, illegally spending government money, and lying to the IMF. These charges have started a bigger conversation about how government money is used in Malawi.
As the case continues, one thing is certain: Kabambe’s future in politics depends a lot on how this trial ends.
