ACB, MRA probe two Malawians of Asian origin

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)  as well as Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) are investigating two Asian businessmen Mustak Chothia and Suleman Ismail on allegations of corruption and  “severe tax evasion”, Nyasa Times understands.

The corruption probe has been opened after a whistle-blower had tipped the graft-busting body.

ACB director Reyneck Matemba has however refused to indicate whether the bureau is having a join investigations with MRA.

The ACB investigation is in relation to “wrongful enrichment” of Mustak Chothia and Suleman Ismail and that they have been using the name of First Lady Gertrude Mutharika for their business operations.

And part of the probe centres on land scandal after one suspect who has been arrested has implicated the two Asians.

Police on Monday arrested three senior officers from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development on allegations that they were forging signatures and produce lease documents.

The law enforcers nabbed Flemings Chifombo, Diverson Mlozi, Rose Ajasi and an Indian Abubooker Istiaq.

The arrest of theses suspects has given a lee way to probe Chothia and Ismail.

Recently, Police arrested Mustag Mahomed, Chifuniro Simumbe and lawyer Umahu Mataka on the same syndicate while Alex Mawaya was still on the run.

The syndicate has been discovered after President Peter Mutharika had directed the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to attend to a lot of complaints on double land allocations and issuing of illegal certificates and deeds, according to Principal Secretary in the ministry of land  Joseph Mwandidya.

While MRA sources indicate they are probing Pearl Adventures,  a company run by Chothia, which  has allegedly be evaded paying tax.

“We suspect Chothia has been defrauding government through Pearl Adventures,” tax expert privy to the investigations, told Nyasa Times.

The law enforcing agencies want to interrogate the two businesspersons as having benefited fraudulently billions of kwacha in collusion with the civil servants.

They are also investigating the property of the two  acquired using the proceeds of crime.

Investigators t could not be drawn into specifics   which are operational in nature for fear of jeopardising the investigations.