Indian ‘investor’ offers K60m bribe to minister, HRDC: Mayaya reports to ACB
Indian national Chandrashekar More, who is said to have set up an edible oil extraction plant in the country,—who was deported from Malawi in May 2017 following his arrest on alleged tax evasion charges— offered a K60 million bribe to Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda for a reversal of his prohibitive immigration status and has been reported to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) executive member Billy Mayaya has also given the graft-busting body recorded audio conversation between More and Mayaya when the Indian businessman offered the bribe.
In a letter to ACB dated December 23 2020, Mayaya alleges that that More sent him a WhatsApp text message on December 22 seeking to be linked to Chimwendo Banda so that the minister can reverse his deportation status.
Then he said More telephoned him, and he decided to record him pretending he was with the Minister.
“He called me where I then pretended to be with the minister although I was alone. He offered a payment of K60 million for a reversal of his prohibitive immigration status,” said Mayaya.
Nyasa Times listened to the recorded phone conversation and More is heard saying that he would offer Chimwendo Banda K30 million and also HRDC to advocate for his immigration status change.
ACB director general Reyneck Matemba confirmed receiving Mayaya’s complaint, saying it was filed and that it would investigate the matter.
Minister Chimwendo Banda said in an interview that he was delighted that Mayaya reported the matter to the bureau immediately the bribe was offered.
“I was alerted about the development through a phone call from Mayaya. I am pleased that he reported the matter swiftly to ACB,” said Chimwendo Banda.
The minister said he has never been in contact with More and would not have in any way accepted bribe.
More is on record to have threatened to file a public interest litigation to stop the Indian Government from helping Malawi with loans and suspend trade, especially on legumes.
The Indian businessman was arrested in September 2015 on tax evasion charges and returned to India having secured permission from the court during the same month.
He returned to Malawi in March 2017 to allegedly resolve the outstanding tax issues with Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and reportedly insulted police officer when he obstructed his arrest and also offered bribes to tax collecting officials.
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I trust we still remember that there is Hassam Fiazal who owns Ilomba Mining and tried to bribe the officials in Mining Department for renewal of his licence.He recorded the clips and threaten to our officers. Why the Government not reject his renewal application?Today there is another amwenye, we will find anothers mawa.These Amwenyes are very corrupted. Why we still allow them staying in our land? Why? They stay in our land more then 200 years, what they did or do for us? Nothing,nothing. We malawian, we should open our eyes, and see!
@ Chi…read again the article …Mr More was here in 2017 …which means he is not in the country…
Paja corruption inatha.Ma kadetitu ndi amene amaba.
Mr More was deported and how come he is in Malawi. We are a laughing stock. Mr Kamwendo My Minister please tell us how this guy find his way here. What kind of message are sending to the crooks? Nowadays things have changed. People are looking for a government which is serious is there help its citizen
More sauce on the the story
I reconnect the claims Elemiya Chihana
What we have to know is that corruption is real
Mwenyeyi anamudziwa bwanji Maya? Tiyimepo kaye pamenepa ndithu. Something fishy went wrong among the three mentioned here. Si ife zitsiru kuti atiputsitse…mbava zonsezo. Wanna chani Kamchacha!!!!!
The K60 million was offered to Chimwendo Banda. Malawians can not see this. My problem is on the reason why Chimwendo Banda did not report this to ACB. ACB knows that this a case on Chimwendo. Second, it appears Chimwendo is highly ‘ corruptible’. The Lilongwe vendors have a case with him but is not progressing due to lack of political will.
Why this Indian Called and offered the Bribe he could have Contacted the Minsters itself and offered him K 60 Million as we all know our Ministers are all Corrupt and it will happen Not in Todays Time but in future for sure
A person who can offer K 60 Million he must be very Rich and He will also come to Malawi the Way Bushiris came crossing Malawi Borders without Any Trace
Immigration Dept should Check Bushiris Passport and Govt will come to know how he crossed over to Malawi from South Africa unless Chakwera he him self is involved in this illegal Transporting Bushiris
Wangotalikila mwenyeyo, anakakhala pafupi zinakatheka
The guys refused the money because the guy offered below what they were asking. Mayaya, Chi mwendo and HRDC wanted K300 million so that they can share amongst themselves but the Asian offered K60 million
Out of 18 million Malawians, the Mwenye picks one Billy Mayaya. Very interesting.
And am I the only one detecting a wistful tone of regret in Chimwendo’s statement?
By just looking at the headline one could just see Chimwendo. But we are reading in article totally different, useless Journalist! Looks like the enemy of the change. Mukhaula!
Osati inu ndiamene sukulu inakuvutani! The text is clear, simukumvetsa pati!?
Ndimaona ngati ndaona ndekhatu kkkkk. Nkhani ili apa ndi ya Maya ya ndi More. Chimwendo ali ku ma stand
The is tired of organising demos. He is looking for a job in Tonse Government. One can easily tell that this is all staged. He wants to be adviser on anti-corruption.To be honest, I am not convinced with this story because there are more questions than answers the reporter has not answered for us in his story. Very very questionable move.
In other words no crime was committed …….. so what is this story about, I think ACB, needs to investigate you Mr Mayaya why did the Indian feel comfortable talking to you??? Are you just out to get people???? Take a chill pill
A Mayaya nkhani I kuti bwanji???? So this Indian never spoke to the Minister but spoke to you??? There was no communication between the Minister and the Indian? We’re you going to get a cut??
Kkkkkkkkk eeeee Malawai watsopano
Let’s see the opportunity in this and not listen to the rest of the noise…
Question should be Why does he want to come back? How can this work to our advantage? Which African Malawian can take over this market he discovered and let’s support our fellow Malawian.?
No comment
Palibe ziphuphu APA chifukwa mwamututumutsa, mukanamuvomera kuti apereke hard cash then agwidwe redhanded. Atha kukana ameneyu and inu a Mayaya ndi a Matemba mukapusa, mulibe umboni wogwirika, its attempted bribe
Bribe ndi bribe basi kaya ofuna kaya sanapeleke koma ngati anali ndi malingaliro amenewo ndi cholinga choti zimuyendere ndiye bribe imeneyo,Zandikumbusa za mulandu wa mpinganjira pa nkhani ya chisankho
Hang on, where is this guy now? In Malawi or India? If still here, please deport him. And did he say he could tell his government to stop cooperation with Malawi? Let him go ahead. After all, it’s his government which benefits more than we do and have lived without them for decades. Anthu awo angoti thoo muno siphoning our money to India.
In 2017 matemba was deputy director at acb and as usual corruption deals happen even whilst he is at top or near top of the anti corruption body. Dude is either corrupt himself or just a failure somebody relieve him of his duties. Return him to ministry of justice where boasts of going back.
A very complicated case. The evidence would be hard to prove in court. More should have been allowed to hand in the funds and then pounce on him. The evidence would have been irrefutable!. Koma apapa ndiye timati hearsay!!
Which case would be hard. You should mention. I believe you know he has not been charged by the ACB. If the ACB were to pursue charges, the charge would not be committing bribery but rather an attempt to commit bribery. Evidence is not hard evidence. Soft evidence can be used.
It’s not complicated as you think, it’s so simple just like the way it is!kikkkkkk! Zodwalitsa mutu ndi ziti pamenepo?
Well done Billy Mayaya. To all Tonse Government Minister heed this warning. Please bear to support the Chakwera philosophy of corrupt free Malawi. Once you allow the ministerial pleasures overcome your conscious you are gone. Power and praise from corrupt people will come to an end one day. You will then realise that you are mere humans not God. You will realise that those you chose to ignore are just as important human beings like you. My point – fear God of heaven without which you will bow to corruption and that will hook to the bone.
Apatu minister akunenedwayo sitikudziwa kuti akanatani. Am sure akanalandira uyu
He should be arrested
The guy shouldn’t even be in our country, he should be at home in India
Without mayaya this deal was on. The bribe amount to tempting. All foreigners who are holders if Malawi passport are not deserving they have all bought.
You should have let the minister himself decline the bribe to prove that he also has some ìntegrity left in him.
As for now you have only shown one side of the character.
Eti? I agree with you boss
You will loose what it is yours with this type of thinking! All you want is to see someone get caught of corruption,, have you see how the corruption cases ended? You will not get anything from corruption cases, you will just cry ngw’e ngw’e! , You can’t say thank you Mayaya and Chimwendo?
Exactly! And one wonders whether the K60m could have been declined! 😁😁😁
That is what we call ignorant or lazy to think. You are so easy to be bribed the way I see your comment. What has happen has happened in that way, why wishing it to happen either way now? Eish a Malawi ulesi ndi umene wakuphani. This bribe couldn’t go through that is why it has gone like this! Kikkkkkkkk!