Leaked letter reveals Speaker Suleman ordering probe into tobacco deal – amid questions over his own role in the matter

• Sameer Suleman wrote to fertiliser fund boss demanding answers over £multimillion Nyasa Tobacco contract, as document surfaces raising fresh conflict of interest concerns

A leaked letter written by Speaker of the National Assembly Sameer Suleman has thrust him into the centre of a growing controversy, after the confidential document revealed he ordered the constitution of a parliamentary committee to investigate a contentious tobacco deal – a move now facing scrutiny over his own potential conflict of interest in the matter.

The letter

The letter, dated 24 August 2026 and marked confidential, was addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) and centres on the awarding of a contract to Nyasa Tobacco Limited to purchase 10 million kilogrammes of tobacco from Eastbridge Estate.

In the letter, Suleman states that he had received complaints against the SFFRFM boss’s office over the award of the contract, with allegations that the deal “borders on corruption and manipulation.”

Serious allegations laid out

According to the letter, the complaints raise four specific concerns:

That the identification and award of the contract to Nyasa Tobacco was not transparent, despite the presence of several buyers on the market;

That there was alleged influence from Cabinet ministers, senior government officials and their relatives in the decision to award the contract;

Unanswered questions over who determined the price of the deal, with claims that the identification of Nyasa Tobacco did not follow expected procedures; and

Why SFFRFM proceeded with the sale while the matter remained before the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Speaker invokes Parliament’s oversight role

In the letter, Suleman defends his decision to establish a Joint Committee of Parliament to investigate the allegations, framing it as central to Parliament’s constitutional mandate.

“As you may be aware, Sir, one of the mandates of Parliament is to exercise oversight. In order to satisfy the demands of the people we are called to serve and ultimately make the institution more relevant, reliable and responsive to matters affecting Malawians, I am compelled and convinced to constitute a Joint Committee of Parliament,” he wrote.

He further stated that Parliament’s role “resonates with the agenda” of President Arthur Peter Mutharika, adding that the institution “remains committed to the development of this country.”

The letter warns that the SFFRFM boss may in due course be subpoenaed to testify before the committee, and requests cooperation with the process “until then.”

Questions over conflict of interest

The leaking of the letter has sparked pointed questions over Suleman’s own position in ordering the probe, with critics suggesting his direct personal involvement in commissioning the investigation – rather than leaving the matter to the relevant parliamentary committee structures – raises conflict of interest concerns of its own.

The development comes at a sensitive moment for the Speaker, who has recently found himself embroiled in a separate, high-profile clash with governing Democratic Progressive Party officials over his conduct and the limits of parliamentary oversight – a row that has already prompted warnings from DPP grandees that Suleman risks overstepping his mandate.

Neither Suleman’s office nor SFFRFM had issued a public response to the leaked letter at the time of publication.

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