Former Secretary to the Office of the Malawi President and Cabinet (OPC) Colleen Zamba, who is alleged to be one of the key figures behind the controversial purchase of the Amaryllis Hotel at nearly three times its valuation, has refused to appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the deal.
Zamba, through her lawyer, claims she is currently outside the country on medical grounds. Her departure came just weeks after her arrest in February in connection with separate corruption cases, including the fertiliser scandal—where millions were reportedly paid to a briefcase company for fertiliser that was never delivered—and the East Bridge tobacco financing deal.
Her lawyer, George Kadzipatike, told PAC that Zamba will not appear before the committee, arguing that the matter is already before the courts under Criminal Case No. 266 of 2026 between the State and Zamba.
“She is currently unavailable as she is still attending to medical treatment outside the jurisdiction,” reads part of the communication.
The lawyer further warned that any engagement between Zamba and PAC risks violating the sub judice principle, as it could touch on matters already under judicial determination.
However, PAC chairperson Steven Baba Malondera Kamsiyamo has pushed back, insisting Parliament has the authority to compel attendance.
“Parliament can invoke its powers to ensure attendance and the production of necessary information where it is required,” he has been quoted by one of the local Malawian papers.
The Amaryllis Hotel transaction has come under intense scrutiny after it emerged that the Public Service Pension Trust Fund (PSPTF) purchased the property from Yusuf Investments Limited at about K128 billion; nearly three times its independently assessed value.
Yusuf Investments director Shiraz Yusuf is also yet to appear before the committee, citing ill health and ongoing treatment in South Africa. His appearance has since been rescheduled to April 29.
Registrar of Financial Institutions McDonald Mafuta Mwale, who was serving as Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor at the time of the transaction, described the decision to proceed with the purchase despite a regulatory order halting it as “very strange”.
The inquiry has further widened, drawing in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). PAC chairperson Malondera has since filed a complaint against ACB Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi, accusing him of attempted corruption and trying to influence the outcome of the inquiry.
Chembezi, who previously acted as a lawyer for Yusuf Investments Limited, had initially told the parliamentary committee that the ACB found no criminal wrongdoing in the deal. However, the bureau later made a U-turn following public outrage and mounting evidence presented during the hearings.
In a twist, whistleblower Alexious Kamangila has also accused Malondera of receiving millions in cash from a politically connected businessperson linked to the previous administration of President Lazarus Chakwera. Kamangila has since asked ACB to investigate Malondera.
Zamba was named during the inquiry as one of the key architects who pushed for the sale, with meeting minutes reportedly indicating that the transaction was in the “best interest of the highest office,” a phrase that observers have linked to the presidency.
The Amaryllis deal cuts across administrations, having been initiated during the tenure of former President Lazarus Chakwera and finalised under the current administration of President Peter Mutharika. Critics say the transition allowed the transaction to proceed with limited accountability.
Meanwhile, questions continue to mount over why President Mutharika is yet to act on officials linked to the scandal, including Chembezi, as pressure builds for decisive action.
