The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has restricted businessperson Abdul Karim Batatawala and two Department of Immigration officials from dealing with their property over allegations of unexplained wealth and property.
According to a statement by Egritta Ndala, Principal Public Relations Officer for ACB, Batatawala and two officials from the Immigration Department namely Limbani Chawinga and Fletcher Nyirenda are restricted from dealing or disposing various plots and vehicles which the ACB believes they have beneficial interest in.
Batatawala, Chawinga Nyirenda and former Immigration Chief Elvis Thodi are accused of conspiracy to defraud government by inflating the market price of 500 lockers procured by the Immigration Department. The four are accused of inflating the market price of the lockers sourced from Africa Commercial Agency at K2 950 560 per unit price totaling K1.5 billion. Batatawala is also accused of money laundering.
For Batatawala, the properties include Title number Blantyre West 145 and 146 plot number BW 588 and BW 599 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Title Number Blantyre West 2/229 Plot Number BW 1164 (Abdul Karim Batatawala t/a African Commercial Agency), Title number Blantyre Central 818 and 819 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Title number Ndirande 480 plot number NW278 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust), and Title number Likubula 2142 (Sabina Abdul Karim Batatawala).
Other properties are Title number Blantyre East 374 plot number ( Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Title number Blantyre West 2/297 plot number BW1161 ( Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Title number Blantyre West 2/294 plot number BW1170 (Abdul Karim Batatawala t/a Kasco Enterprise), Title number Blantyre East – 59 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Title number Blantyre West 2/298 plot number BW1158 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust) Title number Alimaunde 11/54 ( Pamodzi Settlement Trust), Plot number BW1160 in Namiwawa (Abdul Karim Batatawala), Title Number Blantyre West 2/295 Plot number BW1167 (Abdul Karim Batatawala t/a African Commercial Agency) and Title Numbers Michiru 380, 381 and 384 (Pamodzi Settlement Trust).
For Fletcher Nyirenda, ACB has restricted him from dealing with three vehicles, two pieces of land in Nkholongo, Mzuzu, a house on plot number SL12/4/67 obtained from Blantyre City Assembly, a House in Machinjiri area 12 and an entertainment Bar in Machinjiri
ACB has restricted Limbani Chawinga from dealing with eight vehicles, two houses in Blantyre, two houses in Lilongwe and an entertainment Bar at Kamba.
