The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has closed a corruption case involving businessman Karim Batatawala.
According to ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala, the case has been sorted out of court.
“I am not granting an interview but the case you are referring to was concluded and settled out of court. The defendant refunded to the Malawi Government K1 billion,” Ndala said.
Commenting on the issue, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira said the settlement does not represents genuine accountability, and appears to be a way of quietly closing a chapter without addressing substantive issues.
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“The ACB could have done better than this. The lack of derailed information about the terms of the settlement and the status of Batatawala’s ongoing criminal proceeding raises serious accountability questions,” Kambwandira said.
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He also asked ACB clearly and tell Malawians on whether the K1 billion payment represents a negotiated settlement and on which claims, or whether it includes penalties, restitution or other conditions.
Batatawala was answering conspiracy to defraud case after he allegedly inflated the market price of 500 lockers procured by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services.
The ACB arrested Batatawala along side former Immigration chief Elvis Thodi in mid-December 2022 in relation to suspected corrupt practices in the procurement contracts for uniforms and other accessories at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services between 2009 and 2012.
He was also accused of inflating the market price of the lockers sourced from Africa Commercial Agency at K2, 950 560 per unit price totalling K1 475 280 000.
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In January 2023, the accused persons filed an application asking the magistrate’s court to discharge the case on similar grounds, but the court dismissed the application.
Recently, the ACB came under a barrage of criticism for settling out of court the case involving State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga, with organisations such as Youth and Society demanding clarity from the graft-busting body.
However, ACB officials have been maintaining that they have discretion on issues.
The Malawi Law Society also asked for clarity in the Kapondamgaga case.
