By The Forum

The controversial MWK128 billion acquisition of the Amaryllis Hotel by the Public Service Pensions Trust Fund (PSPTF) has taken a dramatic turn, with fresh allegations of interference now directed at the acting director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

In a formal complaint addressed to ACB director Gabriel Chembezi, the chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Steven Baba Kamsiyamo, lays out a series of claims accusing the anti-graft chief of attempting to improperly influence him.

“I write to formally lodge a complaint — ironically against yourself as Acting Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau — regarding your threats, persistent advances, and attempts to unduly influence me in the discharge of my duties as chairperson of PAC,” Kamsiyamo states in the letter.

According to Kamsiyamo, Chembezi initiated contact and sought a private meeting, including visiting him at his home. During these interactions, he allegedly sought assurances of protection ahead of his appearance before the committee.

Chambezi wanted to be assured that would be ‘protected’ during his appearance, Kamsiyamo writes, adding that he made it clear such an undertaking would be “inappropriate and impossible.”

Kamsiyamo further claims that after Chembezi’s appearance before PAC, the ACB boss followed up with a phone call, thanking him for not disclosing certain information.

Chembezi, alleges Kamsiyamo, repeatedly insisted that people wanted to finish him and needed protection, adding that he was asked what he would require from Chembezi in order to help.

The allegations come against the backdrop of renewed scrutiny over the PSPTF’s purchase of the Amaryllis Hotel — a deal long dogged by questions over potential conflicts of interest, the timing of its clearance, and the reportedly inflated price.

When he appeared before PAC, Chembezi pledged to reopen investigations into the transaction, citing new information emerging from the parliamentary inquiry. He said the committee’s proceedings were helping to fill critical gaps that had stalled earlier probes.

But critics argue the initial decision to clear the deal of wrongdoing was premature.

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called for decisive action against officials implicated in the saga, singling out Chembezi for particular scrutiny. The ACB chief had previously told Parliament there was no evidence of corruption in the transaction.

“It is deeply troubling that such a conclusion was reached when multiple red flags were already apparent,” said HRDC chair Michael Kaiyatsa. “While we note his subsequent decision to reopen investigations and freeze related bank accounts, this sequence raises legitimate questions about the independence, thoroughness, and responsiveness of the ACB.”

Kamsiyamo also alleges that when Chembezi failed to secure his cooperation, the situation escalated.

“You showed me a document alleging that I had misused K1.1 billion meant for the rehabilitation of Mzuzu Airport when I was deputy minister,” he claims.

He rejects the accusation, stating that the project in question predated his tenure in office.

Kamsiyamo says he has since reported the matter to police and circulated his complaint to the President and other relevant authorities, setting the stage for what could become a high-stakes confrontation at the heart of Malawi’s anti-corruption apparatus.

—

Photo: UNDP

Also Read: Malawi govt blocks Amaryllis report tabling, demands key witnesses appear before PAC