Update: Attorney General Testifies in Amaryllis Hotel Inquiry
Attorney General Frank Mbeta appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday to answer questions regarding the K128 billion Amaryllis Hotel deal, according to Nation Online. Mbeta denied authorising the property purchase by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund, stating his office only provided conditional legal advice after the Malawi Law Society lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He told the committee his office cannot sit as a super-board over parastatals. In a related development, the Reserve Bank of Malawi confirmed it has quarantined K72.6 billion from the transaction and fined each pension fund trustee K40 million for ignoring regulatory orders to halt the deal.
Police Arrest Businessman for Forex Smuggling
The Malawi Police Service arrested a Nigerian businessman, Collins Iheanacho Bernard, at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe on Wednesday for suspected illegal foreign currency activities, The Maravi Post reports. Airport Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Sapulain Chitonde Lee stated that detectives intercepted the 45-year-old in the departure lounge. A physical search revealed $2,800 hidden in an old passport and his pockets. Bernard failed to provide supporting documentation for the funds, leading to his arrest and the confiscation of the currency.
Court Endorses Plea Bargain in Contaminated Goods Case
A formal plea bargain has been endorsed by the court fining Zamm Investments Limited K4.5 million and Zakariya Tutla K1.8 million for possessing contaminated materials, according to a Thursday statement from the Ministry of Justice. The court also ordered the forfeiture of 508 jerry cans holding 10,000 litres of contaminated materials to the Malawi Bureau of Standards. Under the agreement, the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew certain criminal charges in exchange for a 530 percent increase in the proposed fines, formally closing the case.
Update: Amnesty International Appeals Over Auctioned Refugee Property
Amnesty International has issued a fresh appeal demanding Malawian authorities establish a clear process for 39 refugees and asylum seekers to reclaim their confiscated property. According to the organisation, the Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force confiscated 79 shipping containers acting as storehouses during a 2023 camp relocation exercise. The containers were subsequently auctioned on March 11, 2026, prompting the human rights group to press the government for accountability and restitution.