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Nearly five years after a high-end beige Lexus was reportedly shipped into Malawi and kept at the underground parking facility of Kamuzu Palace, former President Lazarus Chakwera to has started using the vehicle now .
The vehicle was seen recently on Chakwera convoy in Lilongwe when the police tear-gassed opposition MCP figures along with Chakwera for unlawful assembly.
The Lexus has long been linked to businessman Zuneth Sattar, who became a central figure in the widely publicised corruption allegations that emerged during the Chakwera administration.
Sattar attracted international attention after investigations by the National Crime Agency alleged that he cultivated close ties with influential figures in government and security institutions.
The investigations claimed that several senior officials received money, vehicles, properties, and other benefits in exchange for facilitating government contracts and business deals linked to companies associated with Sattar which drained billions of tax payers money.
Among prominent figures whose names surfaced in connection with the controversy were former State House Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga, former Vice President Saulos Chilima (RIP) former Foreign Affairs Minister Eisenhower Mkaka, former Inspector General of Police George Kainja, and former Lands Minister Kezzie Msukwa, among others.
The scandal raised concerns over alleged procurement irregularities, inflated government contracts, and abuse of public resources in the defense force and other agencies.
At the height of Zunnet Sattar scandal , the Chakwera administration arrested then Anti Corruption Bureau chief Martha Chizuma who was geared to pursue the matter until justice was served .
Critics accused the Chakwera administration of failing to decisively pursue prosecutions despite mounting public pressure and the seriousness of the allegations.
Reports also indicated that Sattar travelled to Malawi on multiple occasions and held meetings with Chakwera at State House during his presidency, further fuelling public debate over the extent of his influence within government circles.
The controversy remains one of the most discussed corruption-related issues associated with the former administration.
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