EXCLUSIVE: Malawi firm in Panama papers, Press Trust Overseas Ltd

  • EDITOR’S NOTE:Panama Papers issue is ‘avoiding tax’ and not evading tax. Evade tax is when you don’t pay tax  you owe. Avoiding tax when you use the legal structures to reduce your tax bills. So whilst it may have moral questions, it’s not necessarily illegal. The difference is between breaking the  law, and not breaking the law.

An organization established through an act of parliament and run by political elites in Malawi, is registered in the tax havens of British Virgin Islands, Jersey and Channel Island.

Prof Mwanza: In PCL board
Prof Mwanza: In PCL board

Press Trust Overseas Limited, a subsidiary of Press Trust Corporation, is amongst the 214 000 offshore companies that were registered by discredited Panama based law firm Mossack Fonseca, documents seen by INK Centre for Investigative Journalism reveal.

Early this month, the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists and its international partners began reporting stories on the leaked 11.5 million documents that shows that the law firm Mossack Fonseca systematically assisted the rich and powerful to hide money and avoid  taxes.

The new revelation that a statutory organization, Press Trust Corporation, has used the discredited law firm since 2008 to handle its offshore services is stunning. As a public organization, its financial report and annual reports does not indicate that the company is registered in Tax havens such as British Virgin Islands.

Press Trust Corporation Limited has footprints in companies both listed and unlisted at the Malawi Stock Exchange ranging from banks, telecommunication, beverages and fuel service stations.

The main object of the Trust is to provide funding by way of grants, donations or contributions to any person or institution for charitable purposes which are in the interest and for the benefit of the people of Malawi including for the advancement of their education, health, social welfare and housing, it says on its website.

In the 2015 financial year, the Trust raked in almost US$3 million in revenue  but doled out almost US$700,000 in charitable expenditure.

The evidence

Evidence unearthed by INK Centre for Investigative Journalism, Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi through ICIJ shows that the company was registered in the British Virgin Islands in May 26, 1999. The organization then appointed Switzerland and France based businessperson, Roger Ronald Matthews, to be its first director.

For more than a year Matthews ran the affairs of Press Trust Overseas Limited before seven other Malawians with political connections were appointed in September 14, 2000. Matthews was subsequently appointed the company secretary in July 2014.

The company (PTOL) got off the ground with US$50,000 worth of shares, according to the documents. But, as of March 31st 2014, had net assets of US$5.2 million after it had written off intergroup loans of US$8.7 million.

According to the documents the investments in the global capital and money markets are managed by IMARA Asset Management (Zimbabwe) Limited. IMARA also manages other 300 unnamed entities, mostly from Africa

The directors of the PTOL are persons of considerable influence in Malawi. They include former Members of Parliament and cabinet ministers. According to records provided by ICIJ, on July 17, 2014, the directorship of the organization significantly changed for the first time with former cabinet minister and well-known Malawian politician Prof. Peter Mwanza taking the leadership of the organization as chairperson.

Other directors were, Ben Chidyaonga, George Kayambo, John DS Gray, Esther Chioko and Nancy G Tembo.

Both  Mwanza and Ben Chidyaonga ceased to be Press Trustees after serving their maximum two terms of six years each. But they were shifted to Press Corporation Limited board to start other new terms as board members.

The current Press Trust Board has Dr. George Kayambo as Chairperson, Tony Kandiero, Esther Chioko, Nancy G Tembo, Mayer Chisanga, Wilson Chirwa and Jim Nsomba.

While the organization has never mentioned in its official documents that the organization was registered and domiciled in Tax heavens, this week the organization maintained that it was above board and that it has nothing to hide.

“PTOL was never formed secretly neither is it a shell company. PTOL was registered in the British Virgin Islands in 1999 under the International Business Companies Act (CAP 291),” said Chief Executive Officer Patrick Mhango in an emailed response.

Mhango further claimed the Reserve Bank of Malawi approved the foreign subsidiary’s incorporation and basis of operation in 2000. Mhango could not explain why the organization chose to invest in tax havens and not in other jurisdictions.

The  PCL oss further piggybacked on PTOL saying it has a clean slate and its accounts are audited by Deloitte Zimbabwe. He however did not back this claim with documentary proof.

Mhango even tried to gag the journalists for use of the documents on PTOL found in the Panama Papers saying they were confidential.

“Indeed, I have never heard of a company sharing its documents such as minutes with the public. Therefore, these will remain confidential to PTOL” he said.

Asked about the rationale behind investing in a tax haven, Mhango said that as far as they are concerned BVI is a credible jurisdiction in which to do business.

He added, “By the way, Press Trust being a public trust does not pay taxes either here in Malawi or indeed anywhere else. Therefore, the objective of PTOL was never to take advantage of the ‘tax heavens’. It was a purely commercial business decision to expand the investments of Press Trust globally in the well-established global capital and money markets”.

Asked about the organization’s association with Mossack Fonseca Mhango claimed ignorance adding that their legal counsels are Obelisk Secretaries Limited.

Press Trust Mauritius operation

Press Trust Overseas Limited, which is 100 percent owned by Press Trust Corporation, is domiciled in Jersey, Channel Island and British Isles but conducts its activities in Mauritius as an investment holding company, according to a copy of the declaration form from Mossack and Fonseca signed by Roger Mathews, Company secretary on 20th May 2015.

Alongside Bermuda and Luxembourg, Mauritius is a recognized tax haven where major Banks stash illicit cash according to non-profits U.S. Public Interest Research Group Citizens for Tax Justice and International Business Times.

The World Bank study of Illicit Financial Flows in Malawi and Namibia estimates that revenue lost to corruption and tax evasion accounts for between 5% and 10% of the GDP. Illicit Financial Flows include practices used to reduce tax liability and diminish a country’s revenue, such as tax holidays or transfer pricing.

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Ivan Mark Radhakrishnan
Ivan Mark Radhakrishnan
7 years ago

AVOID / EVADE = THEFT. Quit the semantics. AND, WHO ARE THE ‘PROFESSIONALS’ – the ‘bankers’, the ‘accountants’, the ‘auditors’, the ‘lawyers’, the ‘judges’ (if any) WHO FACILITATED the ILLEGAL EXTERNALIZATION OF MADE-IN-MALAWI DOLLARS to ITS – international tax scams? WHY IS MALAWI MADE MONEY paying TAXES OUTSIDE MALAWI and CREATING EMPLOYMENT OUTSIDE MALAWI? AVOID / EVADE = MASS DETENTIONS. The same bastards ILLEGALLY EXTERNALIZING MADE-IN-MALAWI DOLLARS to Panama, Switzerland, Cayman Islands, Jersey, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg etc CANNOT VISIT THESE COUNTRIES and / or European PRINCIPALITIES. Vote NO 2 RED; Vote NO 2 racism / Vote NO 2 exclusion / Vote… Read more »

mwenye wa malawi
mwenye wa malawi
7 years ago

Bring back our billions of dollars which have been hidden overseas by these cashgaters and our economy will stabilize. The Kwacha will appreciate; no devaluation. Even our presidents and MP’s have the same bank accounts abroad.

Malawi is indeed a failed state and continues to self-destruct.

Winston Msowoya
Winston Msowoya
7 years ago

I wholeheartedly conjoin with Donald’s assertion on Malawi film in Panama Press Trust Overseas.Frankly Donald has hit on the nail.The standard of the Malawian Journalists is appallingly below beau ideal,which needs to be re corrected.For instance,I have written a book on Malawi entitled : MALAWI,”THE LEGACY OF TYRANNY AND SHAME”.In this book,I had written on various kinds of topics from,tyranny,tribalism,neo-colonialism that engulfed Banda’s horrific betrayal of Africa economically and politically,the repartriation of the Northerners,from South and Central,Quata System,the beast incarnet,the land claims that led Banda to demand part of Southern Tanzania,East North of Zambia and huge patch of land from… Read more »

Nguswigha
Nguswigha
7 years ago

These are so called journalists who get bogus certificates from bogus so called Colleges in Malawi. Just a Diploma in journalism will have different parts: Part1 diploma, part 2, part 3 >……………………………up to part 8. the same diplomakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Bogus malawian journalist. I believe Malawi Polytechnic does not offer these diplomas which are collected in sacks.

Donald
Donald
7 years ago

The Journalists in MALAWI are UNEDUCATED, UNPROFESSIONAL and lack the basic skills
of reporting and proper grammar.. They are even corrupt and work according to who
will give them bribes to do a story..

MALAWI IS A FAILED STATE JUST LIKE SOMALIA.. ITS A WILD PRIMITIVE PLACE WHERE
ANYTHING GOES..

WE HOPE DONALD TRUMP TAKES OFFICE IN THE USA AND CUT OFF ALL AMERICAN AID
TO MALAWI BECAUSE ITS A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME

A CULTURE OF CORRUPTION, XENOPHOBIA, RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY, JEALOUSY AND EVIL!..

Kamano
7 years ago

Do you think we are dunder heads that we need schooling on the contrast between avoidance and ivasion. We already know that the two terms are synonimous; by the way, why would anyone want to avoid tax if not to corrupt the country.

Liquor
Liquor
7 years ago

Amene you do not see the relevance of this story please read this report by the “reputable ” Newsweek and see how these African capitalists reap you off http://europe.newsweek.com/panama-papers-who-are-real-victims-tax-avoidance-and-evasion-444144?rm=eu

Jelbin Mk
Jelbin Mk
7 years ago

Mr Jika the writer began defining the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance so i wonder what you’re trying to argue or explain. You are simply arguing for the sake of arguing and explaining for the sake of explaning. Comment if you understand the content not just for the sake of commenting, maybe you are one of those rigging our economy? Can’t you see that out of 3 million dollars only 700 000 has been disbursed is a joke of the purpose of the trust and anyway who has directly benefited from this trust and how if any? We… Read more »

Amuna Anga
Amuna Anga
7 years ago

Country without srategy

Nothing wrong with Press trust oversees, umbuli amalawi

charlie hebdo
charlie hebdo
7 years ago

But whats wrong with stashing money overseas? Or cashgate? Or corrupting cops or corrupting the courts or stealing drugs from hospitals or giving passports to aliens or pilferage at MSCE exams or district councillors illegally pocketing millions of tax money or former presidents siphoning billions of kwacha or embassies stealing millions or road projects funding going to individual pockets or AIDS funding finding personal pockets or Henred Malawi Ltd going bust because of stealing from it or MRA letting in rich Asian budinessmen’s cars free of duty or allowing politicians ‘borrow’ big from MSB without tracing repayment or allowing public… Read more »

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