The Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament has approved President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s nominee, Fostino Maele, as the country’s new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), saying the vetting process focused heavily on competence, integrity and the urgent need to improve the delivery of justice.
PAC Chairperson Felix Njawala said the Committee took its responsibility seriously, especially considering growing public concern over slow prosecutions and unexplained discontinuation of cases.
Njawala said the Committee pressed Maele on these issues, stressing that Malawians expect a DPP who can “restore confidence in the criminal justice system.”
“We asked him very direct questions on prosecution delays because these delays have real consequences for victims and for the accused. The Committee wanted to understand whether he has the capacity and a clear plan to address the bottlenecks in the system,” said Njawala.
Njawala added that PAC also examined how Maele intends to handle the controversial issue of discontinued cases, an area that has raised concerns among civil society organisations.
“The law gives the DPP the power to discontinue cases, but Parliament must be given reasons. We emphasised that transparency in this process is critical if the public is to trust the office,” he said.
He further noted that the Committee was satisfied that Maele understands the constitutional obligations of the office and the need to put public interest first.
Maele, appointed on 27 October, appeared before PAC earlier today as required by the Constitution for confirmation of presidential appointees.
After the session, he said he responded to the Committee’s questions to the best of his ability, adding: “The questions were very fair and raised pertinent issues, and I believe I addressed them well.”
PAC will now forward its approval to Parliament for the final confirmation process.