Concerned junior staff of the judiciary have reported Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda and Judicial Service Commission to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and office of the ombudsman for breaching recruitment procedures.

This is according to a letter which has been addressed to the ombudsman, ACB, Malawi Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Magistrate’s and Judge’s Association of Malawi (MAJAM),  AMA president and copied to the Judicial Service Commission.

According to the letter, the law states that only officers who are entitled to practice law in Malawi can be employed as professional Magistrates.

The letter further claims that without proper justification the judicial service commission employed Tamanda Nyimba, personal assistance of Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda who is also the current chairperson of the commission.

The letter further alleges that, Nyimba who is a nephew to Nyirenda studied law outside but never sat for bar exams in order to qualify for the position of a professional magistrate and to practice in Malawi.

The concerned group argues that some of the people who are employed in the research department and magistracy sat for bar exams and are qualified for the position of a professional magistrate.

The letter adds that two P4 positons fell vacant and were given to relations of some members of the commission without conducting interviews.

These are his worship Mzonde Mvula and his worship Kondwani Banda as was then.

The concerned junior officers have also accused the Chief Justice of employing his own biological son Wanangwa Nyirenda as an intern for research department without any competitive interview and a year later promoting him to the position of of Senior Resident Magistrate.

Meanwhile, the group has argued that this is a breach of established recruitment procedure.

Credit: MIJ Online