The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government to take decisive action against individuals implicated in the controversial Amaryllis Hotel transaction, warning that continued inaction risks undermining Malawi’s fight against corruption.
Speaking during a press briefing on Friday in Lilongwe, HRDC National Coordinator Michael Kaiyatsa described the deal, reportedly valued at over K128 billion, as a grave breach of public trust, raising serious concerns of corruption, abuse of office, and systemic failure in governance.
Kaiyatsa said the ongoing inquiry by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has already exposed critical irregularities, including possible violations of the Public Finance Management Act and failures in oversight by key institutions.
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“This is not an ordinary transaction; it strikes at the heart of public interest. The pension funds meant to safeguard retirees have been exposed to reckless, opaque, and potentially corrupt dealings,” said Kaiyatsa.
The civil society grouping has now placed the responsibility squarely on President Peter Mutharika to demonstrate leadership by taking immediate action, including removing senior public officials linked to the transaction and dissolving the Public Service Pension Trust Fund board warning that failure to act within 21 days would trigger further unspecified lawful measures to ensure accountability.
“What Malawians want is action. The President needs to demonstrate to Malawians, not through statements alone, but also through action. He needs to ensure that those people are properly held to account,” he added.
The coalition has also faulted the Ministry of Finance, arguing it cannot claim ignorance given its representation on the fund’s board.
According to HRDC, the ministry was either directly aware of the transaction or failed in its oversight role, both scenarios amounting to serious governance failures.
While acknowledging steps taken by oversight bodies such as the Registrar of Financial Institutions to trace and freeze funds, the coalition warned that delayed or inadequate responses from institutions like the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Financial Intelligence Authority point to deeper systemic weaknesses.
Beyond the hotel deal, HRDC has also raised alarm over what it describes as a growing trend of discontinuing high-profile corruption cases, particularly those involving senior government and ruling party officials.
Kaiyatsa questioned the government’s commitment to fighting corruption amid these developments.
He warned that the trend risks eroding public trust and donor confidence, especially as the government has repeatedly pledged to tackle corruption decisively.
Kaiyatsa further questioned why discontinuations appear to disproportionately affect cases linked to ruling party figures, warning this could create perceptions of selective justice.
“If cases involving senior officials are being discontinued at this rate, what are the implications on the public trust?
“Do Malawians really believe that government is serious about addressing corruption when cases involving senior officials are being discontinued at this rate? Our concern is that if this issue is not addressed properly, there is a risk that public confidence and even donor confidence could be eroded,” he said.
HRDC is now pushing for reforms to the law governing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), arguing that the current framework allows for potential abuse.
The coalition is proposing that before any case is discontinued, the DPP should be required to justify the decision to Parliament and, by extension, to the public, saying Malawians deserve to know why the cases are being discontinued.
The group stressed that without swift arrests, prosecutions, and recovery of public funds, the scandal risks entrenching a culture of impunity.