Chothia, Karim  implicated in Malawi land grab scandal

Following the deployment from Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of three senior officials to other ministries startling revelations are emerging implicating two Asian businesspersons Mustaq Chotia and Suleman Ismeal Karim for illegal land transitions.

Government has deployed Commissioner for Lands Killian Palika and his deputy Mohammed Seleman to Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health respectively, while Lands registrar Apendezi Kachiwala has been deployed to Ministry of Local Government.

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Kezzie Msukwa described the deployment as a clean-up move.

Now information is trickling in that  Chotia and Kadiba have not been paying scrutiny fees on so many land they own dubiously and they have failed to abide by the laws which does not allow or permit the sale of undeveloped land.

The duo have got a whole estate in the capital, Lilongwe’s  Area  3 hat belonged to Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) but was transferred into their names.

This land is near the Lilongwe Golf Club and up to now there are serious issues since the paperwork is not ready and complete.

These two bought fenced land belonging to government on Maula Prison road and the land was under MHC. As of now this land is being sold along side another undeveloped land near Mugg and Bean.

Chothia and Kadiba are also involved in five plots in Area 15 that were  allegedly obtained illegally.

“At the Lands offices you will notice that documents and files have gone missing,” a source in the Ministry of Lands told Nyasa Times.

Sources link the removal of Ministry of Lands top officials to be among others linked to the way they worked for Chothia and Kadiba.

Nyasa Times also understands that Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has a docket of Chotia and even the land which he sold after Mchinji round about which is reserved for the road network expansion.

Another investigation is on the land the two sold at Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout to the Chinese and others.

The National Anti-Corruption Alliance (NAP) recently tipped Minister of Lands  Kezzie Msukwa and  his deputy Abida Mia  on how to curb systematic corruption surrounding acquisition of land in the country, saying the ministry should introduce stringent measures such as conducting a social audit on land property for each person in the country.

NAP chairperson Moses Mkandawire said there is rampant corruption and the ministry has not been honest enough when allocating land.

He said: “A preliminary report that we carried out some months ago has shown that there is a big problem of corruption in the Ministry of Lands. What has been happening requires social auditing on the assets people have.”

Mkandawire proposed the need for the minister to work with the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the civil society in sealing loopholes in land acquisition in both cities and district councils.