In a dramatic twist to one of Malawi’s most high-profile corruption cases, High Court Judge Violet Chipawo, on March 5, 2025, ruled that former Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director-General Reyneck Matemba must stand trial over allegations that he concealed his interest in a $7.8 million food rations contract awarded to Zuneth Sattar’s UK-based company, Xavier Limited.
The ruling has sent shockwaves through Malawi’s political and legal circles, thrusting a once-respected anti-corruption champion into the heart of the misconduct he once fought to eradicate.
But how did Reyneck Matemba—a former Solicitor General—become entangled with the alleged mastermind behind one of Malawi’s largest corruption rings?
The rise of a Scandal: How it all began
To understand the gravity of this case, it is essential to recognise the context in which it unfolded. Malawi has long grappled with systemic corruption, especially in public procurement and law enforcement.
The ACB, established in 1995 to combat graft, has faced political interference and accusations of selective justice—making this case a critical test of its independence and ability to hold powerful figures accountable.
At the centre of the scandal is Zuneth Sattar, a Malawian-born British businessman known for securing lucrative government contracts in Malawi’s security and defence sectors.
By 2021, Sattar had become the subject of multiple international investigations, including one by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), over allegations that he used bribes to influence public officials and win government tenders.
In October 2021, the ACB received a tip-off implicating Sattar in a web of corruption involving senior Malawian officials, including those within the Malawi Police Service (MPS).
The allegations suggested that Sattar was bribing politically exposed persons (PEPs) to secure government contracts—one of which was the $7.8 million food rations deal.
By December 2021, an investigation team, including ACB Principal Investigating Officer Steven Goru, began examining whether Matemba—then Malawi’s highest-ranking anti-corruption official—was complicit in facilitating Sattar’s dealings.
At the heart of the probe was an external hard drive provided by the NCA, containing thousands of documents and communications linking senior Malawian officials to Sattar. Among the most damning evidence were records showing direct and frequent contact between Matemba and Sattar, who used aliases like “Josan” or “JK” to conceal his identity.
Phone Records and Secret Messages: The evidence against Matemba
Evidence obtained from WhatsApp messages revealed that the relationship between Matemba and Sattar was closer and more personal than previously known. The two men—who referred to each other as “brother”—regularly discussed the food rations contract, raising concerns about Matemba’s impartiality in overseeing investigations related to Sattar’s business dealings.
On June 5, 2021, while Matemba attended a Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) board meeting in Mangochi—where the controversial food rations contract was under review—evidence shows that Sattar forwarded Matemba’s phone number to his agent, Ashok Nair, with the instruction, “Matemba 5K.”
The ACB interpreted “5K” as a coded reference to a $5,000 USD bribe—a pattern consistent with other communications where Sattar used similar codes to reference payments to public officials.
Less than a month later, Sattar enquired about the contract’s progress. Matemba allegedly assured him that he had followed up and would provide further updates, suggesting he was actively monitoring the process on Sattar’s behalf.
By June 29, 2021, the ACB granted a no-objection letter to the PPDA, allowing the contract to proceed. Two weeks later, on July 14, Sattar confirmed to Matemba that the necessary documents had been submitted.
Later that same day, Matemba sent Sattar a photograph of confidential Malawi Police Service documents—a gesture Sattar acknowledged with a simple but significant response: “Thank you.”
“Gifts” and direct orders: The role of Senior Police Officers
The investigation also exposed widespread corruption within the Malawi Police Service, implicating high-ranking officers who allegedly worked closely with Sattar to push through inflated contracts.
One of the key witnesses, McFarlen Jere, a retired police officer who served as Officer-in-Charge Quartermaster, testified that Sattar personally directed him to initiate requisitions for the food rations—a request Jere initially resisted due to procedural concerns.
However, under pressure from then-Inspector General Dr. George Kainja, Jere eventually approved a request for 210,000 ration packs—a figure that was later inflated to 350,000 packs under directives allegedly influenced by Sattar.
Jere also revealed that in May 2021, he was invited to Lilongwe to collect a “gift.” Upon arrival, Ashok Nair handed him an envelope containing MWK 2 million (approx. $1,200 USD). Although Jere had been promised MWK 5 million (about $3,000 USD), he claimed that he never received the full amount.
A Tangle of Deception: Manipulated IDs and False Names
Efforts to cover the tracks of the alleged bribery ring extended beyond coded messages. Investigators discovered that Sattar’s phone number—used to coordinate with Matemba—was fraudulently registered under the name Jane Jere, a woman from Mzimba who testified that she had no connection to Sattar or his operations.
Jere stated that she had lost her national ID in Lilongwe and was unaware that her identity had been used to conceal Sattar’s communications with government officials.
According to the ACB, this was not an isolated incident—Sattar had reportedly used similar techniques to disguise his interactions with other high-ranking officials, pointing to a sophisticated corruption network embedded across multiple government agencies.
What’s next for Matemba?
With the court ruling that Reyneck Matemba has a case to answer, the former ACB chief now faces three legal options:
1. Testify in his own defence—a risky move that could allow him to directly challenge the evidence.
2. Call witnesses to undermine the prosecution’s case and cast doubt on his alleged role.
3. Remain silent, leaving the court to decide his fate based solely on the evidence presented.
Whatever choice he makes, the stakes are high. Once celebrated as a symbol of transparency and accountability, Matemba now finds himself accused of aiding the very corruption he was entrusted to fight.
A Nation at a Crossroads
This case exposes how deeply corruption is entrenched in Malawi’s public institutions. For many Malawians, it is more than a legal battle—it is a test of the nation’s ability to hold its most powerful figures accountable. As the trial moves forward, it poses a crucial question: Will justice prevail, or will Malawi’s elite remain untouchable?
In the coming weeks, as the courtroom drama unfolds, the nation will be watching closely—awaiting an outcome that could reshape the fight against corruption for years to come.
