Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Shukran Kumbani has dismissed an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) application to renew a restriction order on four bank accounts linked to Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre, effectively giving the company access.

Delivering his judgement in the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the magistrate said the bureau failed to “show cause” as required under Section 23(3) of the Corrupt Practices Act.

At the centre of controversy: Amaryllis Hotel. | Nation

Kumbani described the bureau’s justification that investigations were ongoing as insufficient to continue with the restrictions.

“If Parliament intended automatic renewal whenever investigations are incomplete, there would have been no need for the words ‘showing cause’,” he said.

The magistrate observed that the affidavit filed by the ACB only disclosed that investigations were ongoing and that money was withdrawn from the respondent’s account.

He said the affidavit did not disclose the extent of the investigation or any nexus between the withdrawn money and corrupt practices.

The restriction notice was initially issued on March 19 2026 to stop the hotel from accessing six bank accounts held at National Bank of Malawi (NBM). The High Court of Malawi had earlier ordered the unfreezing of two accounts for operational purposes while maintaining restrictions on four others.

The ACB’s investigation centres on the controversial K128.75 billion purchase of Amaryllis Hotel by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund.

The bureau had initially cleared the transaction on January 3 2026, stating that it found no sufficient evidence of corruption. However, the bureau reopened investigations on March 12, 2026, following new evidence that emerged during Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee hearings.

In an interview yesterday, ACB acting director general Gabriel Chembezi said the bureau would challenge the ruling.

“We are investigating how K5.3 billion was withdrawn in cash within a short period. There are allegations that some of the money was given to three board members and some PSPTF Secretariat staff who expedited the sale. These allegations are serious and require a thorough investigation,” he said.

The Amaryllis Hotel deal attracted public attention and Parliament also intervened with a public inquiry.

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