Malawi arrests ex-MP Chilapondwa over K884m unpaid VAT
Revenue authority says the former Ntchisi South MP collected VAT on government electrification contracts without being registered to do so.
The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has arrested Ulemu Chilapondwa, a businessman and former ruling party Member of Parliament for Ntchisi South, over allegations that he collected and failed to pass on K884.6 million in Value Added Tax linked to government-funded electrification contracts.
MRA says Chilapondwa, who trades as Chamachete General Dealers and J.U.C Investments, took the tax from the Ministry of Energy for supplies under the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP) in November 2024, when he was not registered for VAT. MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Wilma Chalulu said the case concerns an alleged breach of Section 109 of the Tax Administration Act, 2021.
The matter is now before the courts, and MRA says due process will be followed. Chilapondwa is presumed innocent until proven guilty.