Malawi: Former Minister Jailed For Theft Earns Presidential Pardon

By Joseph Dumbula

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has pardoned former cabinet minister, Henry Mussa, who was sentenced to five years in prison in March this year for receiving stolen computers.

Minister of Homeland Security Kenneth Zikhale Ng’oma says Mussa has been released on medical grounds.

According to Zikhale, Mussa has been pardoned together with 10 other prisoners who were chronically ill.

Mussa served as minister in the Bingu wa Mutharika and Peter Mutharika administrations and has been a Member of Parliament for over ten years.

He was arrested in 2020 together with former Director of Information Gideon Munthali on allegations of stealing a computer and a generator in 2019 which were meant for District Information Offices across the country.

Mussa was sentenced to five years in prison for receiving stolen property and three years imprisonment for conspiracy to steal donated computers and a genset worth K10 million.

Munthali was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit a felony and 6 years imprisonment for theft by public person. The sentences are to run concurrently from the day of conviction.