By Peter Davieson

Governance expert Mavuto Bamusi has criticized the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for its decision to close a corruption case involving prominent businessperson Karim Batatawala.

According to ACB Principal Public Relations Officer Egrita Ndala, the case was settled out of court after Batatawala refunded K1 billion to the Malawi government.

However, commenting on the development, Bamusi described the move as a setback in the fight against corruption, arguing that it sends a dangerous message to the public.

He warned that such settlements could encourage would-be offenders to engage in corrupt practices with the hope that they can later negotiate their way out of legal consequences.

“This is not just a legal misstep—it’s a moral failure. It tells Malawians that corruption can be washed away with money. This undermines public trust in our justice system and weakens accountability mechanisms,” Bamusi said.

Batatawala was arrested in 2022 alongside former Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services Director General Elvis Thodi, on allegations of inflating procurement figures for materials supplied to the department.