Ex-OPC boss Chizaso Nyirongo faces arrest over Amaryllis Sale

Former Director of Legal Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) under the previous Malawi Congress Party administration, Chizaso Nyirongo, risks arrest and prosecution over his role in the controversial sale of the Amaryllis Hotel.

A newly released report on the Amaryllis Hotel inquiry has recommended that appropriate administrative and legal action be taken against Nyirongo, including his possible disqualification from holding positions of fiduciary responsibility in public institutions.

The report further recommends that the current OPC investigate Nyirongo’s role in advancing the transaction and later presiding over its approval, his influence over the appointment of key officers and advisors, and his decision to push the deal forward despite existing regulatory directives.

Nyirongo, who previously served as Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba’s close aide, also chaired the Board of Trustees for the Public Service Pension Trust Fund.

The inquiry, conducted by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts, found that the transaction unfolded in distinct phases—beginning with an initial investment proposal in 2023, followed by a professional valuation and due diligence process, the withdrawal of the Fund’s investment manager, and a formal Board resolution in January 2024 against proceeding with the acquisition.