By Linda Kwanjana
Businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhry is facing allegations of multiple fraudulent land transfers into his family trust, Mahli Trust, after reportedly providing false information to public officers handling the transactions.
Close associates claim Chaudhry, who is heavily indebted through his firm Mas International, is attempting to shield property from creditors, lawsuits, and bankruptcy claims. However, they allege he has continued to mislead officials, including presenting his wife, Neelam Azhar Mahmood, as a trustee despite her lack of Malawian citizenship. Neelam holds British nationality.
Malawi’s amended Land Laws (2022) prohibit foreign nationals from owning private or freehold land for personal use or speculation. They may only acquire land for recognised investment purposes, and must do so in partnership with a Malawian citizen.
A review of land transfer documents has revealed that the Chaudhry family, with the assistance of their lawyers, is allegedly attempting to defraud the Malawi Government by presenting false information to land officers in ongoing transactions.
In November 2023, Emerald Investment Limited of Blantyre sold and transferred Blantyre East 108 (Plot Number BE 138) to the Chaudhry family at a declared value of K750 million, with stamp duty paid at K22.5 million.
However, a year later, as the family was seeking to transfer the same property into their Malhi Trust, they under declared its value at only K12 million, offering stamp duty of just K360,000, a sharp contrast to the K22.5 million paid in 2023 based on the K750 million valuation.
Files currently under review by the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), according to inside sources, show no tax clearance certificate and no valuation report. This omission has raised serious concerns of a deliberate scheme to evade tax obligations.
On Title Number Blantyre East 15, Plot BE 1, only a consent order has been issued, while the transfer itself remains pending.
Concerns have also been raised about false declarations under oath. In one transaction, the couple’s lawyer, Kwame Ngwira of Brandon Law Firm, allegedly misrepresented Neelam Mahmood’s citizenship status in a letter to the Land Registrar dated February 10, 2026.
There are unverified reports suggesting that Chaudhry’s wife, Neelam, together with her son, may be planning to leave the country as investigations into the suspected wrongdoing intensify.
The letter sought consent to transfer Title Number Blantyre East 15 from Chaudhry and his wife to Mahli Trust, and reportedly included national identity cards portraying both as Malawian citizens.
The property, previously held by Nirala Kautilal Rejavi and Manjula Guladbas Devraj, was subsequently transferred to Mahli Trust, with a certificate of compliance issued by Commissioner for Lands Muhammad Selemani on February 17, 2026.
A whistleblower has since reported the trustees to Fiscal Police, alleging misrepresentation of citizenship to secure consent. Investigators are probing claims that Neelam Mahmood’s identity card was not enclosed in the application, despite references to it by her lawyers.
The allegations, formally submitted on July 1, 2026, suggest the transfer process relied on false information provided to public officers. Authorities are now tasked with verifying the authenticity of the citizenship claims and determining whether the trustees violated Malawi’s property and citizenship laws.
Under Malawi’s Penal Code, lying under oath constitutes perjury, a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. Courts treat such offences with gravity, as they undermine the integrity of judicial proceedings.
