ACB moves in on property mogul

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) says it has completed investigating property developer Faizal Aboo on allegations that he attempted to bribe a senior official at Malawi’s Ministry of Finance with K5 million (about $16 666) cash and an up-market house.

Aboo is said to have attempted to bribe Thom Malikebu in 2010 when he was head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), ACB spokesperson Egrita Ndala confirmed last week. She said the matter is now in court. Malikebu left the unit for another job in Tanzania.

State Advocate Pacharo Kayira, who is part of the government legal team prosecuting the matter, confirmed in an interview this week that Aboo is facing official corruption charges. He said the matter will be concluded soon. But Kayira declined to offer specific details, saying the issue is still in court.

FIU is an autonomous central national body reporting directly to the Minister of Finance. It was established under the Money Laundering, Proceeds of Serious Crimes and Terrorist Financing Act of 2006.

The unit collects information, substantiates it and forwards it to investigating authorities such as ACB, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Fiscal and Fraud Police Unit (FFU), National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).

FIU also coordinates and strengthens efforts of national and international intelligence and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts to fight money laundering, terrorist financing and related crimes.

In a written response to a questionnaire this week, Ndala said ACB had completed investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption involving Aboo.

Aboo has interests in various residential and commercial properties in Blantyre and Lilongwe cities apart from other enterprises. This is not the only bribery case Aboo, who is also known as Gaffar Abdul, is facing.

Other bribery cases against Aboo

According to court documents seen by Weekend Nation, Aboo is also accused of:-

• trying to bribe a police officer, Alice Ngamie, in July 2009 with K500 000 to induce her to drop criminal charges against him in a case involving possession of and dealing in foreign currency without permission.
• attempting to offer K100 000 to another police officer, detective sergeant Donnex Ben, to drop a case, also in July 2009.
• Asking the officer to surrender to him (Aboo) evidence seized by the police from an illegal forex bureau in Limbe in connection with a case of possession of and dealing in foreign currency without a permit. Aboo is an accused person in the case, according to records.