Amaryllis Scandal Explodes: Malawi Law Society Rips Into ACB Probe

TheMalawi Law Societyhas sharply criticised the conduct of theAnti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) over its decision to clear officials linked to the controversial planned purchase of theAmaryllis Hotelby thePublic Service Pension Trust Fund(PSPTF). In a strongly worded statement, the legal body says the move by Acting ACB Director GeneralGabriel Chembeziraises serious questions about the credibility, independence, and integrity of the bureau’s so-called investigation into the matter. According to MLS, the decision to clear the officers casts a dark shadow over the entire probe and fuels public suspicion that the investigation may have been rushed, compromised, or simply inadequate.

The society has also thrown its weight behind the intervention of theReserve Bank of Malawi, whose Registrar of Financial Institutions ordered the reversal of the controversial transaction. MLS is now demanding full transparency over the deal, insisting that the trustees and officers of PSPTF — together withFrank Mbeta, theOffice of the Attorney General— must come clean before the nation. “In the spirit of accountability and transparency, we demand that the trustees and officers of the Fund and the Attorney General provide information to the public regarding the exact status of the transaction,” the statement reads.

MLS says Malawians deserve clear answers on several critical issues, including the final purchase price, any money already paid, the complete due diligence reports, the identity of any strategic partner or operator, and the specific advice, if any, received from the Reserve Bank. The legal body has also demanded that Chembezi publicly declare whether he has any interest in the matter and recuse himself immediately if a conflict exists. The Amaryllis deal has sparked widespread outrage after it emerged that PSPTF planned to acquire the hotel for K128.75 billion, a figure many analysts and commentators argue is grossly inflated and far above the property’s real market value. As pressure mounts, the controversy is fast turning into yet another test of Malawi’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the integrity of its anti-corruption institutions.