By Jack McAdams:
The arrest of former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander General Paul Valentino Phiri by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has exposed serious activities undertaken during the previous administration of President Lazarus Chakwera.
The ACB says Phiri faces five counts relating to abuse of office and dealing in terrorist property, with the charges arising from allegations that he facilitated illegal arms trafficking in June and July 2025.
The development raises the question of whether General Phiri acted alone or whether the operation involved individuals occupying senior positions within the previous administration.
Given the scale and sophistication reportedly associated with the alleged movement of military hardware, questions of command responsibility, procurement procedures, logistical coordination and political oversight warrant thorough investigation.
According to allegations circulating in investigative reporting, the purported arms-trafficking network may have involved senior figures within the former administration, including former President Lazarus Chakwera, his former Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga, General Valentino Phiri, former secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba, former Mitc boss Kruger Nyambalo Phiri and former Defence Minister Harry Mkandawire.
It has further been revealed that in return, individuals within this network received approximately US$12 million in connection with arms supplied to parties involved in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
Reports have alleged that the weapons originated from arms suppliers in Serbia, were routed through Malawi and were subsequently transported to Sudan rebels, according to a CIA dossier this publication has seen.
The award winning online outlet, The Platform for Investigative Journalism previously reported allegations of a secret weapons-smuggling pipeline involving Malawi and Sudanese rebels.
The investigation therefore raises several critical questions: Who authorised the movement of the consignments? What procurement and end-user documentation was used? Which individuals or institutions facilitated the logistics? Were public resources or state facilities used? And, most importantly, where did the money allegedly generated from the transactions ultimately go?
In our next entry, we intend to examine the alleged financial trail, including the identities of individuals reportedly involved, the amounts allegedly received, the transactions through which the funds moved and any offshore accounts allegedly connected to the operation.
Any financial allegations will be presented alongside the available documentary evidence and attributed to their respective sources.
