Anti-graft agency opposes bail for ex-minister’s wife, Chirwa, pending appeal in corruption case

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Court (EFCC) to deny bail to Wanziya Chirwa, wife of former Home Affairs Minister, Stephen Kampyongo, as she awaits the outcome of her appeal.

Chirwa, serving a three-year sentence for corruption at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility, renewed her bail application earlier this month, arguing that her appeal has strong prospects of success.

Her initial bail application was dismissed by the trial magistrate on October 29, 2024.

Chirwa maintained that the grounds outlined in her notice of appeal demonstrate a high likelihood of overturning her conviction.

Through her lawyers, Chirwa argued that her conviction for possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime was a bailable offence.

She further claimed that without bail, she risks serving a significant portion of her sentence before the appeal was resolved.

In her appeal, Chirwa alleged that the court erred in law and fact by convicting her on five counts without sufficient evidence.

She also challenged the valuation of her assets, pegged at K23 million, and accused investigators of negligence in handling her case.

ACC legal and prosecutions officer, Namwezi Chizalila, opposed the bail application, arguing that Chirwa had not demonstrated any exceptional circumstances to justify bail pending appeal.

“The applicant has not disclosed any exceptional circumstances to warrant the court exercising its discretion to grant bail pending appeal,” Chizalila stated in an affidavit.

She dismissed Chirwa’s claim of serving a significant portion of her sentence, noting that the EFCC operates as a fast-track court to ensure timely resolution of appeals.

While Chirwa proposed raising traceable sureties as part of her application, Chizalila argued this did not meet the threshold of exceptional circumstances required for bail.

She urged the court to deny the application, stating insufficient grounds to justify the request.

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