By Investigative Desk
Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have dragged the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) into a deepening corruption scandal after investigators established that billions of kwacha siphoned from the Greenbelt Authority (GBA) were allegedly diverted to finance political campaigns.
According to the ACB, a staggering K36,782,078,832.91 was dubiously paid out by Greenbelt Authority to selected private contractors in 2025 for irrigation projects under the Greenbelt Initiative. The payments, investigators say, were made without performance bonds, supported by fake work certificates, and in gross violation of public procurement and financial management laws.
What has ignited nationwide outrage is the ACB’s finding that part of the looted money was allegedly withdrawn from banks and used for political campaigns, with investigators tracing the funds to activities linked to the governing party.
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The money was meant to develop four irrigation schemes—Nthola Ilora in Karonga, Lweya in Nkhata-Bay, Mlambe in Mangochi, and Nchalo in Chikwawa—projects funded by Malawian taxpayers to boost food security, rural incomes, and national economic resilience. Instead, the ACB says, the funds were allegedly repurposed to entrench political power.
“This was not just theft; it was a calculated abuse of public institutions to fund politics,” a senior investigator familiar with the case said, underscoring the gravity of the revelations.
The ACB has already arrested three senior GBA officials and three private contractors, while arrest warrants are out for three more GBA employees and two additional contractors, some of whom have reportedly gone into hiding. Investigators say the scheme points to a coordinated network linking public officials, business executives, and political interests.
While MCP has not yet responded in detail to the specific allegations contained in the ACB statement, governance experts argue that the scandal exposes a dangerous convergence between state resources and party politics.
“If public funds meant for irrigation and national development were indeed used to bankroll campaigns, then this represents a direct assault on democracy and economic justice,” said one governance analyst.
The ACB has stressed that all suspects will be taken to court within the constitutionally required 48 hours and that investigations are ongoing. However, public pressure is mounting for the probe to extend beyond technocrats and contractors to political beneficiaries of the alleged scheme.
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For many Malawians, the case has become more than a corruption investigation—it is a referendum on whether the fight against graft will confront political power head-on, or once again stop at the doorstep of the powerful.
As the net tightens, one question dominates the national conversation: Was K36.7 billion meant to feed the nation instead used to buy political power?
