ACB stops Lands Ministry transacting Sattar’s properties in Lilongwe
Malawi’s graft busting body – the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued an order restricting the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development from dealing with properties in which Zuneth Sattar is alleged to have beneficial interest.
The properties include 86 plots both in strategic uptown areas and in the outskirts of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.
The order is pursuant to the Bureau’s powers under Section 23 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.
“The Restriction Notice has been issued as part of investigations by the Bureau following allegations that Zuneth Sattar and his agent Ashok Kumar SREEDHARAN aka Ashok Nair have been giving bribes to Politically Exposed Persons with the aim of influencing various Malawi Government Departments to corruptly award contracts to companies belonging to Zuneth Sattar,” said ACB Principal Public Relations Officer Egrita Ndalain in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Ndala added that following the restriction notice, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is restricted from dealing with the 86 plots in question until the ACB concludes its investigations or lifts the restriction notices.
Recently, the Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda disclosed that his office is gathering information on how his predecessor Kalekeni Kaphale cleared the businessman.
Kaphale, alongside senior officials for erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the incumbent Tonse Alliance administrations, are reported to have facilitated the clearance of Sattar who is facing various charges bordering on corruption.
The AG’s probe coincides with another one instituted by Britain’s FBI styled National Crime Agency (NCA) alongside Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which focuses on the businessman’s dealings with the Dr Joyce Banda, Professor Peter Mutharika and current Tonse administrations, with senior officials for all tenures facing possible legal perils.
Sources close to the investigations reveal that a horde of Presidential aides, Ministers, top civil servants are believed to have collected money from the businessman.
NCA and ACB are currently tracing the money flow trails.
Corrupt country with corrupt politicians
Tione potheratu nkhaniyi. Tatopa ndi za ma half
Inu mukubgotichedwetsa. I have gone through the land allocation list for the past 20 years. There is no land that the Ministry of Lands allocated to Sattar. All the plots are allocated to bonafide Malawians, some of whom fail to develop the plots and end up selling them to the highest bidder. We need to know this. It is not a crime to possess 200 plots of land, which you got from the market. I see Government has started covering up. Reynack Matemba facilitated and cleared a number of Sattar’s land acquisitions. Ndiye lero, he is being demoted from the… Read more »
You see how foolish this government of Chakwera is, you decide to give bail to such a crook because his subjects have benefitted a lot from him and are afraid to be exposed. I hope this ACB is not on her path to protect this bastard in the pretext that they are preventing the Ministry of Lands in dealing with his 86 plots. What? Oohh my dear, a whooping 86 plots, what on earth! Malawi is on sale for sure through politicians and corrupt bosses.
Why Batatawala has been released? did he buy his bail
Hope ACB are not slow in concluding the investigation like they are doing in other cases.
Wapadzala anaulula wapadenga.