By Linda Kwanjana
Today’s Weekend Nation has reported that Attorney General (AG) Frank Mbeta has reported the disputed Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP) Phase 9 contracts to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) as the government continues pursuing fund recovery.
Mbeta told the publication this week in an interview that the government had already secured court victories in some of the civil cases and was pursuing the recovery of public funds lost through the challenged deals.
Meanwhile, it has been established that Blantyre-based controversial businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhrey had business interest in one of the companies that received upfront payment from the Ministry of Energy in 2022, Kumakoka Trading Company, but never delivered the materials.
Chaudhrey disclosed in a Court document that he had a pre-financing agreement with Kumakoka Trading for the MAREP deal.
The Ministry of Energy sued three companies it accuses of pocketing more than K1.4 billion upfront for the MAREP Phase 9 materials but failed to supply.
The firms, Africa Green Economy, Loui Holdings Group (PTV) Limited, and Kumakoma, received advance payments for their contracts during the 2022/23 financial year.
“Marep matters have been referred to ACB for further investigations… In some of the matters we sued, we have since obtained judgments for the refund of the money with interest,” the AG told Weekend Nation.
Last month, Weekend Nation also gathered through court documents and interviews that Africa Green Economy Limited got K698,050 991.00; Kumakoka Trading Company pocketed K523 538 243.57 while Loui Holdings Group is yet to supply cables worth K144 674 756.91.
The ministry, through AG’s chambers, commenced legal action to recover the funds from the three firms, together with interest, damages and other costs arising from the alleged contract breaches.
According to the Court documents filed at High Court Lilongwe District Registry, the ministry commenced the litigations in August 2025.
“So we will recover all the money. Where necessary we will also prosecute the perpetrators for abusing public funds,” Mbeta told Weekend Nation.
A source at ACB has disclosed to us that after the AG’s referred the matters to the corrupt-busting body, investigations are already under way and noone would be spared, including people suspected to have fronted companies that obtained the upfront payments.
He further disclosed that Chaudhrey was a man of interest on their list.
In a Commercial case number 159 of 2026 before the High Court Commercial Division in Blantyre, Chaudhry claims he entered into an oral agreement with some individuals to loan him K800 million and they now want to seize his property, his residential house.
He went to Court to seek an injunction against these individuals, claiming the loan was never given to him.
The AG’s action comes amid mounting public scrutiny over procurement and contract management under MAREP Phase 9.
In April this year, Energy Minister Jean Mathanga told Parliament that an audit into MAREP Phase 9 had exposed accountability gaps involving contractors who failed to account for materials supplied for electrification works.
