Ailing Magalasi granted bail in hacking, Amaryllis cases

Democratic Progressive Party strategist Collins Magalasi cut a frail and pained figure as he arrived at the Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe, struggling to walk as his health appeared to deteriorate – before magistrate Austin Banda granted him bail in both cases he is facing. Although on remand, Magalasi is currently receiving medical treatment […]

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 […]

Magalasi to spend another weekend at Maula as court session fails to proceed

Former Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority Chief Executive Officer Collins Magalasi will remain in custody at Maula Prison for another weekend after today’s scheduled court session failed to proceed, with the matter now pushed to Monday. Magalasi has been on remand at Maula since Senior Resident Magistrate Shukrani Kumbani reserved her ruling on his bail application […]

PAC report names Zamba, others over K128.7bn Amaryllis hotel purchase

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended further investigation, legislative reform, recovery of losses and individual accountability over the K128.7 billion Public Service Pension Trust Fund purchase of Amaryllis Hotel. The committee’s report was adopted on March 31, under committee chairperson Steven Malondera. PAC said the transaction represented serious lapses in fiduciary discipline, governance and […]

Malawi parliament report on Amaryllis hotel deal ‘ready’ for tabling

A hotly-anticipated parliamentary report into the controversial purchase of Amaryllis Hotel is finally ready to be tabled — bringing to a head months of wrangling over a star witness who never testified. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has wrapped up its probe into the Public Service Pension Trust Fund’s purchase of the hotel, Speaker of […]

Court orders sick Magalasi to stay locked up over Amaryllis hotel money laundering probe

The governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) strategist Collins Magalasi has been REFUSED bail and thrown back into Maula Prison on remand following his arrest over a explosive multi-billion kwacha money laundering scandal. ​The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court slammed the door on Magalasi’s bid for freedom, ordering the economist and  top politician to remain behind […]

The slow grinding of Magalasi’s case, and what it reveals about Malawi’s justice system

There is a particular kind of theatre to Malawi’s high-profile corruption cases, and Collins Magalasi’s has, over the course of a single dramatic week, supplied nearly all of it: fresh charges sprung mid-hearing, magistrates swapping roles, sympathisers queuing to shake a defendant’s hand, and a defence lawyer left, by his own admission, simply “surprised.” The […]

Speaker sets 7-day ultimatum for Amaryllis Hotel probe report, announces joint committees on key public voncerns

Malawi Parliament is set to establish a number of joint committees to investigate and address concerns raised by members of the public over issues ranging from the Amaryllis Hotel probe and pension fund administration to persistent power outages, passport processing, mining and conditions in Malawi’s prisons. The announcement was made by Speaker of Parliament Sammier Sulemani […]

Police and Magalasi clash over Amaryllis charges

A bizarre contradiction has emerged between police and former MERA boss Collins Magalasi, just a day after his arrest, over whether he has actually been formally charged in connection with the Amaryllis Hotel scandal. National Police spokesperson Gladys Chiwawula told Nyasatimes that Magalasi has NOT yet been charged, insisting officers are still in the process […]

Money laundering swoop: Two men held with K46 million cash after tip-off at Amaryllis Hotel

Two men have been arrested in Blantyre on suspicion of money laundering, after police caught them allegedly exchanging suspicious sums of foreign currency at the Amaryllis Hotel. Blantyre Police Spokesperson Mary Chiponda disclosed that the pair were found in possession of US$9,200 — roughly K15.9 million — along with a further K30 million in local […]

Police confirm Magalasi arrested over Amaryllis Hotel cash withdrawals

Former MERA boss Collins Magalasi has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with the controversial Amaryllis Hotel deal. National Police spokesperson Gladys Chiwawula confirmed the arrest, saying further details would be provided later. Magalasi was picked around 5am today in Area 49, Lilongwe and is being kept at Lumbadzi police station. The […]

‘They should vomit this money’: Chithyola demands justice over Amaryllis Hotel scandal

Malawi’s opposition leader has issued a furious demand for accountability over the stalled Amaryllis Hotel scandal, declaring that the country risks “slowly embracing corruption as policy” unless answers are finally delivered over the controversial K128 billion pension fund purchase. Simplex Chithyola Banda used his closing remarks to parliament to reignite pressure on government over the […]

K128bn Amaryllis Hotel scandal probe ‘dead in the water’ as Parliament rises without report

A bombshell parliamentary probe into the controversial K128 billion purchase of Blantyre’s Amaryllis Hotel is looking increasingly like it has been quietly buried, after Parliament rose this Friday without ever receiving a report into the scandal-hit deal. The stunning omission comes despite the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) being explicitly given the green light to wrap […]

Amaryllis funds controversy deepens as months pass with no arrests or recovery

Months after the Amaryllis Hotel transaction triggered public outcry, a parliamentary inquiry and the freezing of bank accounts, no arrests have been made and no funds have been recovered, raising renewed concerns about the effectiveness of Malawi’s financial oversight systems. The 90‑day freeze on the accounts at the centre of the controversy has elapsed, and […]

Speaker: Zamba must testify on Amaryllis probe

Malawi’s former secretary to the president and cabinet, Colleen Zamba, who is reportedly in South Africa receiving medical treatment, will be required to testify before parliament’s Public Accounts Committee as it investigates the K128bn acquisition of the Amaryllis Hotel, the speaker of parliament has said. Sameer Suleman, the speaker, said Zamba – who gave virtual […]

ACB’s setback on the Amaryllis accounts exposes a deeper problem

Lilongwe’s decision to lift restrictions on bank accounts linked to Yusuf Investments is more than a legal technicality — it is a reminder of how fragile Malawi’s anti‑corruption architecture remains when procedure, capacity and urgency collide. Senior Resident Magistrate Shukran Kumbani’s ruling was blunt: the Anti‑Corruption Bureau failed to “show cause”. Simply saying investigations are […]

Glamour, glitz as Amaryllis  Hotel hosts Tay Grin end-of-the-year party: Busiswa in for ‘2020Wrapped’

Goodbye 2020, welcome 2021. It is going to be night of glamour, glitz and panache to celebrate the end-of-the-year as local hip hop artist Tay Grin through his Black Ryhno Entertainment stable  has organised  a party at the five-star Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre today. The rapper said South African musician Busiswa will headline the party where […]

Qualified Malawi citizens bypassed for high positions in multinationals: Immigration corrupt on ‘work permits’

There is an unspoken of evil labour practice that continues to consume the working spirit in most international companies  operating in the country and some organisations with strong links to international interests, Nyasa Times has established. Qualified Malawians and others with more high-grade and internationally recognised skills and papers are left-out in preference to international […]