Abdul Karim Batatawala – Malawi Freedom Network

Nov72022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

ACB wins against Batatawala, others

The Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court on Friday ruled in favour of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), allowing it to amend a charge sheet in a case business mogul Abdul Karim Batatawala is facing fraud charges. Batatawala, alongside former Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services chief immigration officer Elvis Thodi, Immigration’s commissioner responsible for operations Fletcher Nyirenda and deputy director Limbani Chawinga, are facing multiple charges that include conspiracy to defraud government and money laundering. One of Batatawala’s court appearances Way into the trial and after eight State witnesses testified, the bureau applied to amend the charge sheet by bringing fresh counts and additional witnesses, but the defence objected the application, arguing it ...

Sep242022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Embattled Martha Chizuma Struggles To Prosecute Corruption King Pin Abdul Karim Batatawala

Stories

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under Martha Chizuma has sought time to organise witnesses in a case it is accusing businessperson Abdul Karim Batatawala and three others of conspiring to defraud the Malawi Government. When the matter turned up for hearing on September 6 at the Blantyre Magistrate’s Court, the bureau told the court it was not ready with its witnesses and asked the court to adjourn to allow them time to arrange the witnesses. According to Nation on Sunday, presiding magistrate Martin Chipofya allowed the request and adjourned the case to October 4, 2022. Batatawala is being accused alongside former chief Immigration officer Elvis Thodi, the department’s commissioner responsible for operations Fletcher Nyirenda and deputy director Limbani Chawinga of conspiring to def...

Jul222022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Court rejects Batatawala’s media ban application

Editorial

by Frank Namangale Blantyre Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court on Thursday threw out a request by businessperson Abdul Karim Batatawala to ban the media from covering his ongoing corruption case. Batatawala, facing corruption charges alongside three other persons at Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, asked the court through one of his lawyers to censure or ban the media, particularly Nation Publications Limited (NPL) and Zodiak Broadcasting Station for what he called “skewed coverage”. Batatawala (above) wanted court to ban the media from covering his ongoing corruption caseBut presiding magistrate Martin Chipopya threw out the request, stating that the media plays a role in delivery of justice and that the defence cited no law to necessitate a ban on the media. ...

Jun92022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Court Rejects Request To Vary Karim’s Bail Conditions

Corruption News

The High Court in Lilongwe has rejected a request to vary the bail conditions of Zameer Karim in his ongoing case relating to the supply of food rations to the Malawi Police Service. The accused is answering corruption charges relating to the procurement of food rations for the Malawi Police Service. He has been on bail since 2018. During the hearing of the case, the defence team applied for the court to change bail conditions which they described as oppressive. They also requested that Karim's passport be returned for renewal. The court has since agreed that Karim be given back his passport for renewal and should be returned to ACB once renewed. On bail conditions, the court determined that the defence did not provide enough reasons to necessitate the requested change and ...

May242022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

DPP Added 12 Fresh Charges To Those Answering Cement Gate Case

News

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has added 12 fresh charges to those answering the Cement Gate case. Speaking after court hearing today, DPP Steve Kayuni said the charges have been increased from six to eighteen, after receiving another investigation report from the Malawi Revenue Authority. The Cement Gate case involves Mohamed Shafee Chunara alongside his father Ahmed Chunara, former State Residences Director General Peter Mukhito, former president Peter Mutharika's personal bodyguard Norman Chisale and MRA Deputy Commissioner General Roza Mbilizi. They are being accused of playing a part in the importation of K5 billion worth of cement from Zambia and Zimbabwe between 2018 and 2020 using Mutharika's Taxpayer Identification Number (Tpin).

May202022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

State Examining Witness On Abdul Karim Batatawala Corruption Case

Corruption News

The state through Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma is re-examining its third witness Gerald Mavete on the ongoing alleged corruption case involving businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala. Chizuma has asked Mavete to justify claims made by Batatawala's lawyer Alex Nampota on why he is faulting the contract 12 years down the line since it was approved. In his response, Mavete says he is helping the state in justifying the case. He further maintains that the contract had irregularities as the amount was increased by over 300 percent from K720 Million which is not normal. Businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala, who owns Africa Commercial Agency, together with three others suspects, are being accused of conniving to defraud the Malawi government through the Departm...

May182022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Abdul Karim Batatawala, 3 Others Back In Court

Corruption News

The Blantyre Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday resumed hearing the Immigration Department and Citizenship Services procurement contracts case against businessperson Abdul Karim Batatawala and three others. Batatawala is on trial alongside former Department of Immigration chief immigration officer Elvis Thodi, the department’s commissioner responsible for operations Fletcher Nyirenda and deputy director Limbani Chawinga. His case continues today: Batatawala During on Tuesday’s hearing, the defence cross-examined the second State witness, Edward Jeke, a procurement specialist. The cross-examination followed examination-in-chief by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma during the first hearing of the case on April 25 2022. During the examination-in-chief, Jeke ...

Apr292022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Fraud Case Of Businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala And Three Resumed at Blantyre Magistrate court

Corruption News

The fraud case involving businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala and three others resumed at Blantyre Magistrate court this morning with the defense cross -examining the state first witness - Ernest Mbaluko - a human resource officer at the immigration department paraded by the state as its first witnesses in the matter. M’baluko gave details on how procurement procedures are done at the department. He joined the immigration department in 2012. He told the court that at the time he joined the department, there were 132 uniformed officers. As we were filing this story, the court had been suspended for five minutes as the second witness was yet to be located. The state is being represented by ACB director Martha Chizuma as lead counsell.

Apr252022 by Suleman ChiteraNo Comments

State To Parade 16 Witnesses In Abdul Karim Batatawala Immigration Case

Corruption News

Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Martha Chizuma says the state will parade 16 witnesses in the Abdul Karim Batatawala immigration case. Chizuma said this is a big and old case dating from 2019; hence, the need for all those witnesses. Batatawala, Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services former director-general Elvis Thodi, commissioner for operations Fletcher Nyirenda and deputy director Limbani Chawinga were arrested for various offences bordering on corruption and money laundering at the department in a procurement deal. The trial started today with the State parading two witness, the Immigration's Superintendent for Human Resource Ernest M'baluku and Procurement expert Edward Jeke.

Apr162022 by Malawi Freedom NetworkNo Comments

Corrupt Mafia Batatawala Case Commence On 25 April 2022

Corruption News

Abdul Karim Batatawala and the other three who wanted the court to discharge them because the state delayed in serving disclosures to the defense they will be back in court their case commence on 25 April 2022 this publication has learnt, Court rebuffs Batatawala, three others. Senior Resident Magistrate Martin Chipofya dismissed an application by businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala and three others to discharge them from the corruption case they are answering. In his ruling Chipofya, dismissed the application saying the case has not reached a state where one can say the matter has been delayed. The court ordered ACB to serve the disclosures by 31st March 2022. Reacting to the ruling Martha Chizuma ,Director General of ACB said the bureau is happy that the court has agreed w...