By Watipaso Mzungu
The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chimwemwe Chipungu, has broken his silence on his alleged links to Bangladeshi national Bahar Sarker — the man named by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) in its September 2026 investigation titled “Inside the Smuggling and Kidnapping Ring That Reached the Highest Levels of Malawi’s Government” as the alleged mastermind of a smuggling and kidnapping syndicate.
PIJ reported that Sarker, who was recently arrested and on remand at Maula Prison alongside co-accused Rizwan Farook Akbar on kidnapping charges in Criminal Case No. 116 of 2026 relating to the abduction of Sharif Islam in Lilongwe, had high-level contacts within government.
The investigation named Chipungu as Sarker’s “most crucial contact,” claiming Sarker boasted that Chipungu personally secured his VIP seating at the presidential inauguration in Blantyre.
The investigation further claimed that Sarker later launched a joint venture known as IK Investments with the minister’s brother, Godfrey Chipungu, to bid for military supply contracts for the Malawi Defence Force — specifically for foodstuff supply to Kamuzu Barracks under procurement reference No. MDF/KB/RATS/26.
Minister Chipungu has now clarified that while he knows Sarker, he has never had any business dealings with him.
In an exclusive interview, Chipungu explained that his acquaintance with Sarker is purely based on two unrelated, public encounters and does not extend to any commercial or professional partnership.
According to the minister, the first interaction was in his capacity as a private businessman.
“The gentleman used to patronize my lodge along the Mchinji – Lilongwe Road like any other customer. As a business owner since 2016, I interact with hundreds of people who come to the lodge. Knowing someone as a client does not mean you are in business together or that you are partners,” Chipungu said.
He said the second encounter happened when he was serving at the Ministry of Defence.
“When I was at Defence, he came to my office and paid a courtesy call. During that meeting, he introduced his company and explained what he was into. It was a formal, introductory courtesy call, the kind I received from many individuals and companies who wanted to introduce their services to the Ministry. There was no business agreement, no contract, no IK Investments, and no transaction that followed that meeting,” the minister clarified.
On the PIJ allegation that IK Investments involving his brother bid for MDF contracts, Chipungu said:
“I have no business link, direct or indirect, with Mr. Bahar Sarker. I have never been a director, shareholder or partner in IK Investments, and I have never facilitated any MDF procurement for him or for my brother.”
Chipungu emphasized that at no point did he facilitate, partner with, or benefit from any business allegedly owned by Sarker, and he has never been involved in his alleged smuggling and kidnapping activities.
“I have operated a hospitality business since 2016, long before I became minister. My record is clear. I know this individual as someone who once came to my business premises as a customer and later as someone who introduced his company during a courtesy call at Defence. That is where it ends,” he said.
The minister noted that the Inspector General of Police, Richard Luhanga, was quoted by PIJ itself saying that after investigations, police did not find evidence that any ministers received payments from Sarker, adding there was a possibility Sarker attempted to invoke ministers’ names to abuse the relationship.
Chipungu further stated that he does not condone human trafficking, smuggling or kidnapping in any form and supports law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate and prosecute anyone found to be involved.
“Human trafficking and kidnapping are serious, heinous crimes against humanity. If anyone is found guilty, the law must take its course. I have no business links with Mr. Sarker and I distance myself completely from his alleged criminal activities,” he said.
Chipungu has in recent months been under intense public scrutiny, with activists questioning his wealth. He has previously denied all allegations of corruption, stating through his lawyers that his lodge project predates his ministerial appointment and is financed through a bank loan.
He has urged members of the public to refrain from linking his name to criminal activities of individuals who may have passed through his business or office in the course of normal public and private engagements.
“The nature of public office and private business means you will meet thousands of people. Meeting someone does not make you complicit in what they do privately,” Chipungu said.
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