Two arrested in Batatawala property transfer investigation

Malawi Police have arrested two people in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged fraudulent attempted transfer of a commercial property at the centre of a high-profile dispute involving businessman Abdul Karim Batatawala, his son Maaz Batatawala, and several other individuals.

The two suspects, Kuleza Phokoso and a Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) officer based in Zomba, were taken in for questioning by Fiscal Police in the early hours of yesterday, as investigations intensified into allegations of forgery, uttering false documents and the alleged attempted illegal transfer of Title Number Blantyre Central 242 in Blantyre.

Following questioning, Phokoso was released after recording a statement with investigators, while the MRA officer remained in custody as investigations continued.

Police are also reportedly looking for Hassan Jussab, Steven Kajombo, Marion Kajombo and Kuzingwa Chilinjala, who are alleged to have been linked to the transaction under investigation.

According to a statement issued through his lawyer, Phokoso’s arrest relates to the investigation into the alleged attempt to transfer the property, which investigators believe involved forged documentation.

However, several of those named in the matter have distanced themselves from the allegations.

Hassan Jussab, when contacted, denied any involvement, saying he knew nothing about the alleged attempt to transfer the property.

Former MRA officer Steven Kajombo also denied any knowledge of the transaction, as did his wife, Marion Kajombo, who said she had no involvement in or knowledge of the alleged property transfer.

MRA discovers alleged irregularities
According to documents seen by this publication, the investigation gathered momentum after the Malawi Revenue Authority examined a Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) allegedly used during the attempted transfer.

Under Malawi’s land transfer procedures, a TCC is ordinarily required before ownership of property can change hands.

In correspondence previously issued by the MRA, the Authority said it had found no record of any application for a Tax Clearance Certificate relating to the transfer of Title Number Blantyre Central 242 during the period under review.

It further identified what it described as several inconsistencies and red flags on the certificate presented to it, including discrepancies in the certificate number, irregularities in the official date stamp, differences in the MRA logo, and inconsistencies in the official letterhead.

The registered owner of the property has maintained that he never applied to transfer ownership of the land, insisting it had merely been offered as security for a commercial transaction and was never intended to be sold or transferred.

Those developments prompted the owner to seek relief from the High Court, which subsequently granted an interlocutory injunction preserving the property pending determination of the dispute.

Questions over the integrity of public systems
The case has raised broader questions about the integrity of public administrative systems and the safeguards designed to prevent fraudulent property transactions.

At the time of posting this story, Nyasa Times had sent questionnaires to both the Ministry of Lands and the Malawi Revenue Authority seeking clarification on how documents allegedly containing serious irregularities could progress through official processes, and what safeguards exist to detect and prevent such attempts.

Neither institution had responded.

Nyasa Times also sought comment from law enforcement authorities regarding public concerns over the pace of investigations into alleged economic and property-related crimes involving Batatawala and his family. No response had been received by the time of publication.

Separately, it is understood that the Malawi Revenue Authority has experienced several break-ins over the years in which IT equipment and computers were stolen, with some past incidents suspected to have involved internal collusion.

During these break-ins, MRA servers were reportedly compromised, resulting in the loss of data linked to Batatawala’s affairs.

Sources allege that MRA has been pursuing Batatawala over tax matters said to be worth more than K17 billion, and suspect this may be connected to the destroyed records — though this claim has not been independently verified, and no charges relating to the break-ins have been confirmed against him.

Batatawala’s business interests have previously been linked to public procurement contracts at MRA and other government departments, including projects under MAREP, and he has featured in a number of commercial court proceedings.

Separately, sources have alleged a link between Batatawala and the fire that destroyed ESCOM House on the night of 18–19 October 2013 — an allegation that remains unproven and has not been the subject of any confirmed charge.

The damage from that fire was extensive enough to force ESCOM to relocate many of its offices to rented premises, and more than a decade later, the corporation has continued plans to rehabilitate the burnt complex.

The investigation into the alleged attempted transfer of Title Number Blantyre Central 242 remains ongoing, with both the criminal inquiry and related civil proceedings yet to be concluded.

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