Chakwera differs with State House on dismissing ‘hotelgate’ as fake: Backs probe
President Lazarus Chakwera has differed with his media and communications team at State House for rushing to dismiss a Nyasa Times story on payments to Crossroads Hotel for $300 a night accommodation for foreign guests, saying he welcomes Anti-Corruption bureau (ACB) investigations into the alleged abuse of public funds.
The presidential press secretary Brian Banda said State House could not make a comment on the matter when the story was revealed as this would be “dignifying fake news” that would not be of interest to Malawians.
But Chakwera after Crossroads Hotel has confirmed that State House paid K12.5 million for accommodation for four guests at its Lilongwe unit, has backed the investigations “to separate facts from fiction on the basis of evidence so that Malawians can be assured of the truth from an objective perspective that is free of interference from interested parties.”
Banda said “it has come to the attention of the President that the allegations of abuse of funds at State House will be the subject of an inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.”
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence said it was “utterly, utterly wrong for State House to first dismiss the mater as fake and then later started giving contradicting information.”
One of the hotel’s directors Sameer Sacranie confirmed that State Residences paid a cheque of K12.5 million from a State House account.
The other bills were being settled by cash from State House guests who were booked at the Crossroads Hotel in Lilongwe in July under the name Miguel Elias of Chitundu Distributors based in Blantyre – a staunch supporter of Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
The four guests were still at the hotel but have moved from $300 per night rooms to one at $90 per night.
Meanwhile, Youth and Society (YAS) executive director Charles Kajoloweka has said the civil society organisations are “comforted” by the fact that the graft-busting body has already instituted investigations into the matter.
He said the “conflicting information” between State House and Crossroads Hotel on the matter is raising more questions than answers.
Initially, Crossroads Hotel’s management had dismissed the allegations that it had received payment from State House before reportedly withdrawing the statement and indicating that it had received a K12.5 million cheque from the same client.
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A chakwera zikukanikani kutafuna
Dpp mthalika mmamunyoza
Nanga izo
Ana ku university mpaka pano no changes.
2025 tizayese Chilima basi
If malawian leaders will keep on defending for their evils, trully no positive change will ever exist in malawi. it is now becoming clear that money squandering is a routine in government system and it`s no longer leadership but satisifying personal needs using already poor malawians.
Trapence and his bodyguards, Charles and his crew all dive head first whenever a bad act is committed by non Malawian (in this case crossroads) however I haven’t seen both these people condeming the arsonists attacks on kumbali. It clearly shows that they have an agenda. A nursery that gave free education to the same village, a training farm that trained Malawian all about organic farming…and yet trapence and his people stay quiet. Aren’t they humans as well trapence?
Excellent Mr President. If all is well so be it so
Kamwa lambodza limamunyada cchauta
Awa anawoneka kale Kuti palibe chabwino..kuthawa chipembezo
Amalawi ambili sadziwa zobisikaza za ndichifukwa chiyani maiko ochuluka amalisala dziko la Israel,
Koma Chakwelayo akudziwa bwino.
Amalawiwa akanakhala amazitsatila bwinolomwe ngati momwe alili aZambia ena ndi kwambili South Afrika
Palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe akanamuthandizila Chakwela.
Ndizachabe waziyambazi.
This Chakwera won’t last 5 years. You back thieves you embolden them. Ask Apm,Joyce Banda, Bakili it will get out of hand and ruin your name as these peoples misdeeds are tied to the presidency. These people won’t stop and others will also start. This will be worse
Zaka 5 amaliza. Kwinako ayi.
Opusa tikhale ife okavotafe nde tidzayankhano 2025.
IZI ZODIAK SI NKHANI ONANSO AMATEMBA AKUTI FIGURE 1,2TRILLION WILL GO DOWN KOMA ZODIAK INALI NUMBER NKHANI LERO KULI ZIII KOMA A MARIA CHIDZANJA NDI AGOSPEL AMBUYE AKUONENI
Adya banzi makape, a brian banda kuoneka ngati anzeru ndi a kasakula zili nsanje anthu oyipa, a mtambo kuoneka ngati okonda dziko lawo lili dyera ana a njoka..God will reward you with a thick hand of wrath
Great move by the President get everything out in the open if the charges are legitimate that’s fine, if they are not then let the heads roll now not years from now. All rumors must be investigated, citizens will enjoy the access to information laws if only to track Government honesty and expenses. APM never did this always said give me proof but never investigated anything. Happy with the change of Government as i know his promises will eventually be fulfilled.
kodi nkhani ikumukhudza pati APM. Wa yufi move on. Moto umapita kwatsala tchire
According to the story, it is clear that something fishy is happening at the State house and Brian Banda is also involved in this. The question is, do we have to keep such untrustworthy employees to be receiving our tax payers money?? Absolutely no!! Brian Banda must withdrawal his statement and apologize to all Malawians because of his lies.
Khadwe iyi amkhala Ngati wadzelu
It’s very simple – can u explain how crossroads sells a room for 300 usd if the market rate everywhere else is 70 usd . Check with capital hotel and pamodzi hotel and u will confirm room rate in the market and then both briber and receiver to penalise. Govt should blacklist both briber and receiver .
In Mangochi you will find a hotel that charges up to 450 dollars per night one room
Arrest the owners of Chitundu Distributors.
Show that ‘clearing the rubble’ is not only for opposition.
Once you speak of ‘investigation’ and ‘probe’.. forget about it..
It’s just a way to bury the matter until people stop paying attention
Shaaàaaaà, that’s the same new government promised it’s citizens the goodies & today what do we hear & see from the promises during campaign? Is this not corruption? Is this the change in expecting?
Tell us more, 1 laptop at a cost of a million kwacha?
I was with you but not at the end.
Laptops aren’t cheap!!!
Very possible – at my worplace we bought HP laptop at MK880,000 for our Financial Controller. Yes 1M is possible.
How about at 4 million MWK for 14 laptops
Some laptops are close to £2999.00 in the UK. Check Currys.co.uk for proof. The problem we have in Malawi is we compare against the price of counterfeit items. Why is a Samsung mobile cheaper in Malawi than the UK? Simple! They are counterfeit.
You are very stupid who buys a work laptop for that price when a mere 500 usd laptop suffices. Do not applaud corruption
Koma bingu akagula ndege muziti akuononga ndalama, osagula ma lap top a reasonable price bwanji? Nsanje ndi kaduka akupwetekani
May I say that UTM and MCP alliance will end in betrayal sooner than later. HRDC is a workhorse for UTM and more rot within the government system will be exposed by UTM via HRDC.
Eventually MCP will want out. Chilima feels cheated and he knows he will never taste the hot seat in alliance with MCP. When they say those that surround are the cause of evil. It’s too early to be cashgating tooo way too early
Thank you my president…i was expecting this statement from you. Its an open secret that Statehouse has some wolves who want to look like good stewards and later corruptly swindle from state coffers.
They should be investigated and long arm of the law should reach them if found to be on the wrong side.
We didnt vote for thieves…we voted for a government that is expected to be corrupt free.
Aone nyekhwe🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Has anyone seen the Statement released by the President?
Absolutely
Aba kale. ACB should investigate to what degree was the government defrauded, kuba nde aba…
ACB, thus the key of no fear from the President. If probed successfully and someone is arrested and sentenced, then it will deter the would be criminals from robbing the State.
In work in accounts at cross roads and u have witnessed Kalumbu and Kampondamgaga visiting our boss many times. And when they come our boss would instruct us to draw cash cheques and cash and I guess the money is given to them because they would wait until we return from the bank.
Tell us more.
Elias Chitundu stood as MCP MP in Chirimba but failed. He is a crooked coloured person . He sold me a rotten gearbox for a Mercedes Benz and refused to pay back my MK500000.00 in 2012. He survives on tricks and owns a lot guns…. Not surprising. He knows how to evade MRA when importing goods from the UK. Strange he is connected to hosting Israelis. Has he now become the Chief of zNIB?