Court Grants Bail to Anne Mumba Pending Murder Appeal

The Supreme Court of Appeal has released convicted murderer Anne Mumba on bail while it considers her challenge to both her conviction and 53-year prison sentence for the death of her husband, Professor Peter Mumba.

Mumba, 56, was sentenced by the High Court in November last year after being found guilty of unlawfully causing her husband’s death at their Area 38 home in Lilongwe in April 2020. Prosecutors alleged he died from poisoning.

Following her conviction, Mumba lodged an appeal on November 22, arguing that the trial court erred in both its findings and the severity of the sentence. She maintains there was no direct evidence proving she administered poison to her husband and that the specific poison responsible for his death was never identified.

Her initial bid for bail pending appeal was rejected by the High Court, leading her legal team to seek relief from the Supreme Court of Appeal. In a ruling delivered by Justice Sylvester Kalembera, the higher court overturned the earlier decision and granted bail.

In its reasoning, the court stated that continued detention was not necessary while the appeal is being determined, emphasizing that the decision was guided by the broader interests of justice.

The appeal on Mumba’s conviction and sentence remains pending before the Supreme Court of Appeal.