UK Charges British Businessman Zuneth Sattar With Bribing Top Malawi Officials
The case underscores ongoing challenges with grand corruption in Malawi, where anti-corruption efforts have faced significant setbacks despite civil society pressure for accountability.
LONDON— Zuneth Sattar, a British businessman, appeared in a London court Friday facing 18 bribery charges for allegedly corrupting high-ranking Malawian officials to secure lucrative government contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, writes Winston Mwale.
Sattar, who appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court, faces 17 individual charges under the UK's Bribery Act 2010, with an additional charge against his company, Xavier Ltd., for failing to prevent bribery.
He did not enter a plea after his lawyers informed the court he suffered a brain injury in November 2023 and could not speak.
The charges stem from alleged corrupt activities between December 2020 and September 2021, during which prosecutors claim Sattar's companies obtained contracts worth approximately $79 million with alleged gross profits exceeding $53 million.
Among the high-ranking Malawian officials named as alleged bribe recipients are the late Vice President Saulos Chilima, State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga, former Inspector General of Police George Kainja, and former Solicitor General Reyneck Matemba.
Also implicated are former public procurement director John Suzi Banda, judge Dan Kuwali, and police lawyer Mwabi Kaluba.
Chilima died in a plane crash in June 2024.
A senior military official is also reportedly implicated in the UK charges but has not been charged domestically in Malawi.
The alleged corrupt contracts included deals for anti-riot equipment, food ration packs and armoured personnel carriers.
Charles Kajoloweka, executive director of Malawian NGO Youth and Society, called the case a "historic milestone" in Malawi's fight against grand corruption.
Sattar has come to symbolise the "dangerous collusion between wealth, power, and impunity," he said.
Helen Taylor, deputy director at UK charity Spotlight on Corruption, said the prosecution "is a significant contribution to the global fight against corruption and highlights the scale of alleged corruption involving top-ranking public officials in Malawi."
The case demonstrates the extraterritorial reach of the UK Bribery Act, which allows prosecution of British nationals for bribery committed anywhere worldwide.
Investigations by the UK's National Crime Agency have been ongoing for several years, working with Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau. The charges follow Sattar's arrest by the NCA in 2021.
However, the case has highlighted challenges in Malawi's domestic corruption prosecutions.
Some related cases against Malawian officials, including the former vice president, were previously dropped by Malawi's Director of Public Prosecutions, citing insufficient evidence or procedural issues.
Youth and Society has previously challenged the Anti-Corruption Bureau's handling of cases, including the decision to discontinue investigations against Prince Kapondamgaga after a restitution agreement.
There is speculation that former ACB Director Martha Chizuma might be a witness in the UK case.
Chizuma's tenure was marked by turbulence, including her arrest and a leaked audio controversy related to the Sattar investigation.
Malawi civil society organisations have expressed hope that the UK prosecution will lead to the recovery of allegedly stolen money and its return to Malawi.
Sattar was released on conditional bail set at £2 million.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 26 at Southwark Crown Court, when a plea is expected.
Sattar has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The case underscores ongoing challenges with grand corruption in Malawi, where anti-corruption efforts have faced significant setbacks despite civil society pressure for accountability.