ACB set to commence trial for Zameer Karim

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)  director  general Reyneck Matemba has said the K2.7 billion Malawi Police Service (MPS) food rations deal case involving businessperson Zameer Karim and two senior police officers is expected  to go for trial in six weeks when the court sets the date.

Karim (2nd r) with sympathisers to have his day in court

Matemba said the bureau has finished compiling all the disclosures, saying the matter has delayed because there are “volumes and volumes” of the disclosures.

He said the graft-busting body was set to prosecute the case and will be.awaiting the court to set the date for hearing.

“We hope to commence trial of this case in six weeks time,” said Matemba.

The three—Karim, Commissioner of Police Innocent Bottoman and Senior Superintendent Grant Kachingwe—are accused of conspiring to use public office for the advantage of Karim, trading as Pioneer Investments, to arbitrarily obtain K2.7 billion from Malawi Government.

The trio was arrested in December 2018 following revelations of suspected dubious transactions in the food rations contract.

Zameer Karim is being represented by lawyer Frank Mbeta.

The case generated intense public interest after a leaked ACB investigation report showed that Karim deposited K145 million in a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) bank account at Standard Bank whose sole signatory was President Peter Mutharika.

The party denied wrong-doing or that it benefitted from an alleged corruption deal, but later, through spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, made an undertaking to refund Karim’s donation.

Initially, Karim and the two police officers were charged with various offences such as theft and acquiring proceeds of crime amounting to K466 million.

Records of case number 1586 of 2018 show that Karim and Bottoman were charged with three counts, respectively, while Kachingwe, the third accused person, faced one charge.

But the ACB later amended the charges to include money laundering, conspiracy, influencing the use of public office and use of public office for one’s advantage contrary to Section 25 b (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.

Following the arrests, MPS interdicted Bottoman and Kachingwe. Bottoman was accused of having unilaterally made an undertaking and commitment to CDH Investment Bank for Karim to access a loan.

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Operation CHOTSA MBAVAA
Operation CHOTSA MBAVAA
4 years ago

MBABAA ameneyo amangidwe. chitsiru Karim is also mbavaa cadet.. don’t spare him ACB N JUDICIARY.

Mr Truth Pains
4 years ago

This is a DPP strategy, they want to clear Zameer, those Police officers and mk145million Muntharika got b4 next administration comes in. They know that if they loose the coming election to either Chilima or Chakwera they will be severely punished to their core.

We are not kids to blindfold us any longer but may be u can blindfold those Cadets.

Angoni apaphata
Angoni apaphata
4 years ago

Uyu aona zokhoma. Going to court at a time when his dpp friends are busy kuyambana ndi ma judge. Unless his case is heard at zomba magistrate court this guy is gone

APM Wanya
APM Wanya
4 years ago

Don’t forget to revisit this case and arrest APM in May/June

Nasingwe
Nasingwe
4 years ago

ACB conde mukayamba mlandu kumaimalizilatu koz tikutaya ndalama ndi nthawi pomangokhalila mlindu.
just like mlandu wa MULUZI.unless nanu mukudya zimaskono.
TATOPA

Bamusi
4 years ago

Abwenze ndalamazo, if not deport him. Akutiwonongera dziko, he is corrupt.

chimanga
4 years ago

Lawyer wa Karim mwati ndi Mbeta? Basi mlandu waluzidwa uwu. The other question I have is why Mbeta is always defending the indefensible. Is it dyera la ndalama?

Mec
Mec
4 years ago
Reply to  chimanga

He is connected to DPP. Karim also deals with DPP

Nalikunfa
Nalikunfa
4 years ago
Reply to  Mec

Karim is gone as long as its Mbeta who insulted the Judges. Omwewo ma Judge wa Thyolo and Mulanje

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