Malawi activists demand accountability for K1.4 billion electrification fund scandal

Human rights and governance experts in Malawi are calling for an investigation into businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhry regarding the disappearance of K1.4 billion intended for the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP) Phase 9.

In 2022, three companies received upfront payments to supply materials for rural electrification but failed to deliver. Attorney General Frank Mbeta is currently pursuing the recovery of these funds through civil litigation and has reported the involved firms to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

One implicated firm, Kumakoka Trading Limited, received over K523 million. While Grant Kaseko is the official owner, investigators suspect he acts as a front for Chaudhry. This suspicion follows a sworn statement by Chaudhry in the High Court Commercial Division in Blantyre, where he admitted to having dealings with Kumakoka Trading regarding the financing of the MAREP contract. Activists have labeled the incident ‘pure fraud’ and are demanding that Chaudhry be held accountable for his alleged role in the matter.