Two former Greenbelt Authority (GBA) senior employees have entered a plea bargain to pay back a total of K107.5 million and testify against 11 suspects in a K36.7 billion corruption scandal, according to court documents.
The two are former director of irrigation Chisomo Patrick Kumbuyo and former procurement manager Masautso Kamowa.
Under the agreement, Kumbuyo will secure a discharge upon full payment of K80 million and cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while Kamowa already paid K27.5 million he received as kickbacks, documents show.
According to court documents, the two will become State witnesses against the 11 other suspects and avoid prosecution for related offenses in connection with what investigators have described as a well‑orchestrated corruption scheme.
The documents show that Kumbuyo initially faced a K10 million charge, but admitted to have received an additional K70 million as kickback, which investigators had not previously detected.
Filed in court on May 18, 2026, the agreement requires Kumbuyo to pay K60 million by July 31, 2026. He already made a part-payment of K20 million, according to ACB acting director general Gabriel Chembezi.
The documents also show that Kumbuyo’s Lilongwe property title deeds are being used as collateral and provided he complies, the State will apply for his discharge.
Chembezi said if Kumbuyo fails to pay the remaining K60 million by the agreed deadline, the State will resume criminal proceedings and initiate civil asset recovery, including seizing the title deeds he surrendered as collateral.
Chembezi expressed satisfaction with ongoing plea bargain agreements, saying they generate leads to recover embezzled public funds and strengthen the prosecution of other suspects.
He confirmed that Kumbuyo’s plea bargain agreement, which he signed with the State on May 6, 2026, was filed with the court on May 18, 2026.
Upon court approval, Kumbuyo will be discharged to testify against his former colleagues.
On the other hand, Kamowa faces charges in the Lilongwe Resident Magistrate’s Court for receiving an K8 million kickback from Kabiki and Partners Engineering Services for a contract awarded for the Nthola Ilola scheme in Karonga District.
The Nthola Ilola Rice Milling Infrastructure and Rice Irrigation Scheme is a flagship project under the Greenbelt Initiative.
Both Kabiki and Partners Engineering Services and China Civil Engineering were contracted by GBA for the Nthola Ilola Rice Scheme, but they handled distinct scopes. Kabiki and Partners served as the consultant providing design, review, and supervision services, while China Civil Engineering held the major K43bn construction contract.
Kamowa is also charged with misuse of public office contrary to Section 25B (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act read together with Section 34 of the same Act.
Particulars of the charge are that he misused his public office for the advantage of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (Malawi) Limited by “arbitrarily initiating a K43.06 billion procurement process for Nthola Ilola Irrigation Scheme which was later awarded to the same firm when the annual budget for the project for that year was K14 billion.
But during plea bargaining talks, Kamowa admitted to have received an additional K19.5 million in cash from the firm, according to the Charge Sheet dated January 20, 2026 filed by ACB. Court documents do not name the source of this money.
He will also testify as a State witness upon court approval of his plea agreement.
High Court Justice Redson Kapindu described the arrangement as a quasi-plea bargain, giving both parties 14 days to finalize it.
The ACB began its probe after receiving a complaint in November 2025, alleging that the authority had awarded dubious contracts and made advance payments worth K28.9 billion without proper guarantees. A forensic audit later established that the actual amount was K36.7 billion, according to court documents.
Agriculture Minister Roza Fatch Mbilizi recently disclosed that the government has launched a forensic audit into the K20 billion already invested in the site.
During an inspection tour, Mbilizi expressed frustration over the lack of visible progress, noting that funds were disbursed for physical structures and solar systems that were never installed.
The project requires an additional K17 billion to reach completion, but the government has halted further disbursements pending the forensic audit’s outcome.
Current GBA CEO Amon Mluwira blamed “various contractual issues,” citing instances where contractors received 80 percent of their pay despite completing only 20 percent of the physical work.
Investigators allege that the advance payments were made without performance bonds and, in some cases, used fake work certificates. The funds were allegedly withdrawn from banks and siphoned into political campaigns or personal accounts.
Kumbuyo and Kamowa are among 11 people arrested for orchestrating the scheme. Implicated GBA officials include former CEO Eric Dudley Chidzungu, director of finance and investments Linda Phiri, and infrastructure development manager Synoden Kautsi, alongside several private contractors.
The ACB has proactively initiated civil asset forfeiture proceedings to seize properties belonging to the 11 suspects, which are suspected to be proceeds of crime.
