By Suleman Chitera
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested six people—three senior officials from the Greenbelt Authority (GBA) and three private contractors—over what investigators describe as a massive, well-orchestrated corruption scheme involving tens of billions of kwacha meant for irrigation development.
Those arrested from GBA are Director of Finance and Investments Linda Phiri, Procurement and Assets Disposal Manager Masautso Kamowa, and Infrastructure Development Manager Synoden Kautsi.
The private contractors in custody are Kenneth Khonje of Einstein Construction Limited, Victor Chabwera of PLMB Engineering Investment, and Ephrone Mwenitete of EMD Consulting Engineers.
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In a hard-hitting statement, ACB Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi said the arrests follow a complaint received on November 10, 2025, alleging that GBA dubiously awarded contracts in 2025 and made suspicious advance payments to the contractors amounting to K28.9 billion.
However, investigations have uncovered an even graver picture.
According to the ACB, the actual amount fraudulently paid out was K36,782,078,832.91, far exceeding the figure cited in the original complaint. The Bureau says the money was released without performance bonds, supported by fake work certificates, and in blatant violation of public finance and procurement laws.
The funds were linked to contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of four irrigation schemes—Nthola Ilora in Karonga, Lweya in Nkhata-Bay, Mlambe in Mangochi, and Nchalo in Chikwawa—projects funded by the Malawi Government under the Greenbelt Initiative and intended to boost food security and rural livelihoods.
Instead, the ACB says, the money was allegedly withdrawn from various banks and diverted to political campaigns, while some was allegedly paid directly to GBA employees, pointing to a deep-rooted network of corruption within the institution.
“The Bureau’s investigations have so far established that public funds meant for national development were systematically looted through manipulated procurement processes and falsified documentation,” reads part of the ACB statement.
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Chembezi has further disclosed that the Bureau has already obtained arrest warrants for three additional GBA employees and two more private contractors, who are currently on the run.
“Efforts are underway to track and apprehend these suspects, some of whom have, for the past 24 hours, not been found at their known physical addresses and are out of reach,” the statement says.
The ACB has assured the public that all suspects already arrested will be taken to court and formally charged within the constitutionally mandated 48 hours.
The scandal has sent shockwaves across the country, raising serious questions about governance, accountability, and the safeguarding of public resources. As billions meant for irrigation, food production, and economic resilience are alleged to have been siphoned off, pressure is mounting on authorities to ensure the case is prosecuted to its logical conclusion—without fear or favour.
For many Malawians, this case is shaping up to be a defining test of whether the fight against corruption is real or merely rhetorical.
