Defiant NOCMA CEO faces ACB grilling over K700million payment to scammers

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has summoned National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Matapa to explain the circumstances surrounding a staggering K700 million payment made to alleged scammers, in a dramatic escalation of the fraud scandal engulfing the state fuel importer.

The summons, signed by ACB acting director Gabriel Chembezi, orders Matapa to appear before bureau officers at its Lilongwe office today, placing the company’s most senior figure firmly in the spotlight over the disputed transaction.

ACB confirms internal complaint triggered probe

ACB spokesperson Jacqueline Ngongonda confirmed the development, revealing that the bureau had internally generated a complaint to investigate potential abuse of office, based directly on NOCMA’s own public statement regarding the fraudulent payment.

“We have summoned the CEO to explain the circumstances surrounding the reported payment to scammers.

“The ACB internally generated a complaint, which has since been authorised for investigation into suspected abuse of office by those involved in making the payment,” Ngongonda said.

The summons lands just a day after police arrested NOCMA Deputy CEO Miklas Reuben and Senior Operations Manager Thokozani Jacob Sesani in connection with the very same payment — arrests that have already sent shockwaves through the company’s leadership structure.

NOCMA has previously said fraudsters impersonating Mozambican port handling firm Mozhandling Limited intercepted email correspondence and duped the state-owned company into wiring the funds to a fraudulent account.

“I won’t step down” — Matapa defiant despite scandal

Despite mounting scrutiny, Matapa has remained defiant, insisting in an earlier interview that he has no intention of stepping down over the matter. He maintains that the disputed transaction took place on 29 April 2026 — two days before he officially assumed office on 1 May 2026.

Whether that timeline will be enough to shield him from further scrutiny remains to be seen, as the ACB now turns its attention directly to the man now leading the company at the centre of one of Malawi’s most closely watched fraud investigations in recent months.