The Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested Alexander Maseko, the former Head of Permits at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, over allegations of abuse of office. According to Malawi24, Maseko allegedly issued a Temporary Employment Permit to a foreign national in January 2023 without collecting the mandatory $2,000 fee. The arrest comes as the national government works to restore international confidence in its immigration system.
Update: The parliamentary inquiry into the K128 billion acquisition of the Amaryllis Hotel by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund is facing severe delays. Nyasa Times reports that the Public Accounts Committee reopened the probe to hear from more individuals but is struggling to secure key witnesses. Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba has declined to appear before the committee. Her legal team cited an ongoing court case linked to the hotel transaction as well as medical treatment abroad.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace has issued a statement warning that Malawians are becoming dangerously desensitised to unresolved crimes and systemic failures. According to Nyasa Times, the commission highlighted recent mob violence over superstition in Chikwawa and Nsanje that left at least eight people dead, the theft and relabelling of expired hospital insulin, and severe judicial delays. The commission specifically pointed to a court case involving Rodwell Zimba, which has lasted more than 28 years, describing the delay as an embarrassment to judicial integrity.