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The Economic and Financial Crimes Court has denied Wanziya Chirwa, wife of former Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo, bail as she awaits the appeal of her three-year corruption sentence.
Chirwa is currently incarcerated at the Lusaka Central Correctional Facility after being convicted of corruption.
Her initial request for bail was dismissed by a trial magistrate on October 29, 2024.
In her application, Chirwa argued through her lawyers that the offence for which she was convicted was bailable and that her appeal has strong chances of success.
She also raised concerns that delays in the appeal process could result in her serving a significant portion of her sentence before the appeal was heard.
However, the panel of High Court judges, comprising Ann Malata-Ononuju, Ian Mabbolobbolo, and Vincent Siloka, ruled against the application, stating that it did not meet the legal threshold.
“Based on the presented grounds, we do not find that this appeal demonstrates good prospects of success. Furthermore, the applicant has failed to disclose any exceptional circumstances that would justify granting bail at this stage,” the judges said.
The court also addressed Chirwa’s concerns about potential delays, highlighted Rule 3(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (SI No. 10 of 2024), which mandates that appeal cases be resolved within five months.
“We anticipate no undue delay in the hearing and determination of this appeal,” the judges noted.
The court concluded that Chirwa had not met the stringent requirements for bail and rejected her application.
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