As businessman and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) main financier Leston Mulli prepares to repay the ill-gotten K3 billion to the Malawi Government, the spotlight now turns to others who may have unjustly benefited from such proximity to power.
The decision of the Supreme Court to surprise Mulli with such a refund of the dubiously awarded huge sums of money is a good reminder that while justice can be delayed, it should never be denied. For the thousands of Malawians who suffered loss, pain, and neglect in 2011 and beyond, this is a moment of hope—and a call for continued vigilance.
The ruling has also reignited long-standing concerns about how the DPP administration’s use of state institutions and public funds to enrich its allies and “homeboys” at the expense of accountability, national development and the starving Malawians.
The ruling highlights not just a legal correction but serves as a powerful indictment of a systemic pattern of favoritism, patronage, and reckless governance that plagued the country under the DPP.
As a background to this fiasco.
In 2013, the High Court of Malawi awarded Mulli’s companies, Sunrise Pharmaceuticals and Chombe Foods, more than K3 billion as compensation for damages allegedly suffered during the July 20, 2011, nationwide protests against economic mismanagement under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika, the DPP founder.
The protests saw 20 civilians killed by state security agents, and yet, it was Mulli’s businesses that walked away with billions in compensation, “without trial, cross-examination, or expert assessments”.
This decision, now reversed by the Supreme Court, showcases the extent to which the DPP government manipulated state structures. The Supreme Court has criticized the process, stating that the compensation was granted without due diligence and legal robustness, underscoring the shambolic legal procedures and executive overreach that characterized the DPP’s style of governance.
Mulli is not just any businessman; he is a well-known DPP sympathizer, originally from Phalombe in the heart of the DPP’s Lhomwe Belt.
His proximity to the Mutharika family afforded him access to massive state resources, contracts, and legal protections. Mulli’s empire grew significantly during the DPP’s rule, he secured government tenders without competitive bidding and was given leeway to default on loans from state-run institutions.
One of the good example and represent well what DPP stands for was the case of Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) which was nearly sent into bankruptcy after Mulli got a colossal loan with more than 50 years repayment period and without any collateral.
Interestingly, it was the same bank which the DPP administration dubiously sold in 2015 to another DPP sympathizer and financier Thom Mpinganjira. The transaction raised numerous red flags. MSB was a state-owned bank that catered largely to the underbanked and was the only bank with a nationwide rural presence. The government claimed the bank was undercapitalized, but critics argued that the move was a calculated ploy to transfer a public asset into the hands of a politically connected businessman.
Despite public outcry and resistance from civil society organizations and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, the DPP government pressed ahead with the sale.
It later transpired that Mulli’s significant unpaid loans were quietly written off before the transaction. The loss was effectively socialized, while the gains were privatized in favor of a party insider.
Under the DPP, governance was characterized by a blatant disregard for meritocracy, transparency, and fairness. Major tenders, contracts, and appointments were frequently awarded based on ethnic and regional affiliations rather than competence or national interest.
The infamous “homeboy” system created an inner circle of beneficiaries from the Southern Region, particularly the Lhomwe ethnic group, who enjoyed undue privileges in the distribution of state resources.
From the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to the Roads Authority and the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), DPP appointees consistently faced allegations of corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office. Under their watch, billions of kwacha were siphoned off through dubious contracts and poorly executed projects.
It is especially troubling that while Mulli’s companies received a K3 billion windfall, the actual victims of the 2011 demonstrations—families of the 20 people who were shot dead by police and others injured or imprisoned—received little to no compensation.
Many still await justice, while the families continue to live in poverty and trauma. The contrast is stark and underscores the moral bankruptcy that defined the DPP’s priorities.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is not just a legal triumph for the Office of the Attorney General but also a significant moment for accountability in Malawi. Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda has rightly been praised for pursuing the matter with diligence and securing a landmark judgment that could help restore public trust in the rule of law.
The judgment also sets an important precedent: no matter how connected one is politically, there should be consequences for unjust enrichment at the expense of the public.
Now, with the court instructing that a case in which Mulli also filed for MK30 billion compensation from government should proceed before a different High Court judge within 90 days, there’s hope that a more transparent process will unfold.
This case will be closely watched not just for its outcome, but for what it represents: a chance to reset the scales of justice in a country still recovering from years of systemic abuse.
Malawi’s experience under the DPP serves as a cautionary tale about what happens when governance is hijacked by a patronage system. It shows the dangers of allowing political connections to override public interest, due process, and transparency.
The refund of K3 billion, while significant, is a small price compared to the broader economic and social damage that such cronyism has inflicted over the years.
The task now is not just to pursue restitution but to implement stronger institutional safeguards that prevent such abuses in the future.
The DPP’s legacy of enriching homeboys like Mulli and Mpinganjira at the expense of the people is a stain on Malawi’s democratic history. The current government must not only recover stolen public funds but also ensure that those responsible for such decisions are held accountable. Only then can Malawi hope to chart a new course based on integrity, fairness, and inclusive national development.
