Her appointment is now subject to confirmation by Parliament through Public Appointments Committee.

Chairperson of the Committee Joyce Chitsulo has told us that the exercise will take place on May 11.

Chitsulo says the committee will among others use the performance of Chizuma as Ombudsman as one of the benchmarks in assessment before her confirmation.

“We will look at how she performed her duties as Ombudsman and relate if that shows her capability to take up the topmost job at ACB. The outcome will be made on the very same day but we will write the appointing authority” said Chitsulo.

Chizuma, 42, while serving as Ombudsman conducted investigations into abuses of public offices.

She ordered senior technocrats at the Office of President and Cabinet, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Agriculture to issue a public apology for their handling of a $50 million loan from an Indian bank to procure tractors for rural farmers.

Chizuma also investigated how State machinery abused Covid-19 funds and unprocedural recruitments of top executives in various State agencies, including the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority MERA

If confirmed by PAC, she will be the first woman to head the graft busting body.