LONG WAIT FOR JUSTICE: Zuneth Sattar’s UK Corruption Trial Postponed Until September 2026

By Jack McBrams

Zuneth Sattar, a British-Malawian businessman accused of paying bribes to senior officials in Malawi to secure government contracts, is now scheduled to face trial in a London court in September 2026 after a London court yesterday adjourned the hearing into his case. 

The trial, which is expected to last nine weeks, will begin on September 6, 2026, at Southwark Crown Court in London, the only time a judge will be available to hear the case. Sattar appeared by video link during a preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. He was joined by his wife, Taheera.

Present in court were District Judge Tan Ikram, Crown Prosecutor Edward Brown KC, and Sattar’s barrister, Simon Farrell KC. The defense raised concerns about Sattar’s mental capacity following a reported fall down stairs in 2023 that left him in what they termed a “child-like state.”

But the Crown, unmoved, maintained Sattar is well enough to stand trial, with the caveat that proceedings will proceed slowly and with medical oversight.

Before the main trial in September 2026, Sattar faces a key fitness-to-plead hearing between March 25–27, 2026, and another preliminary hearing set for February 6, 2026. For now, a £2 million surety—posted by his cousin—remains in place, along with a strict travel ban and the surrender of his two British passports. 

“The temptation [to flee] is heightened,” warned Brown, citing Sattar’s wealth, access to private jets, and global reach.

Sattar, 44, and his UK-registered company, Xaviar Limited, face two counts under the Bribery Act 2010. The charges relate to allegations that he offered payments to politically connected individuals in Malawi in exchange for the award of public contracts worth tens of millions of dollars. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Prosecutors said Sattar is at the center of a transnational bribery network involving multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, with suspected illicit payments made to influential Malawian officials between 2020 and 2021.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the alleged bribes were used to secure at least three major contracts with the Malawian government: A $28 million deal for anti-riot equipment, a $7.8 million supply contract for military food rations, and a $20 million procurement for armored vehicles routed through a UAE-based entity.

Among those named in the charge sheet are the late Vice President Saulos Chilima, President Lazarus Chakwera’s Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga, former Inspector General of Police George Kainja, and former Solicitor General and ACB Director General Reyneck Matemba.

Simon Farell, KC, is representing Sattar 

Sattar’s attorney, Simon Farrell, K.C., told the court that his client suffered a traumatic brain injury in early 2023, which has left him in a diminished mental state.

The court has scheduled a three-day hearing in March 2026 to determine Sattar’s fitness to plead.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, Sattar was not in custody. He was granted conditional bail, including a £2 million surety provided by a family member, surrender of both of his British passports, and a full international travel ban.

Edward Brown, K.C., prosecuting on behalf of the Crown, described Sattar as a “flight risk” with significant wealth and access to private air travel. He noted that Sattar had not been under police bail since October 2022 due to what the defense called an oversight by investigators.

Edward Brown K.C. is prosecuting for the Crown

The prosecution also highlighted that there is currently no extradition treaty between the United Kingdom and Malawi, raising the stakes if Sattar were to attempt to flee the country.

The case is being closely watched in Malawi, where Sattar has long been a controversial figure. Civil society groups have accused him of benefiting from corrupt ties with powerful officials. He was first arrested in the U.K. in October 2021, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which has been working with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

The case has drawn international attention, particularly in Malawi, where Sattar's contracts with the government were a source of public outcry and political scrutiny.

Although the Chakwera administration initially supported the investigation, critics have accused it of wavering under pressure. In 2022, the arrest of then-ACB Director Martha Chizuma, a key figure in the probe, sparked condemnation from rights groups.

In a statement, Helen Taylor, deputy director at Spotlight on Corruption, said: “This prosecution of a British businessman accused of foreign bribery bears out the absolutely vital contribution that the National Crime Agency makes to the global fight against corruption. The charge sheet speaks to the scale of alleged corruption and exposes the work that remains to be done.”

In Malawi, the National Anti-Corruption Alliance (NACA), a coalition of civil society organizations, described the charges as a long-overdue breakthrough.

“For too long, Mr. Sattar has symbolized the grotesque collusion between wealth, political power, and impunity,” NACA Chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said in a statement. “He allegedly exploited access to senior public officials to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from a struggling nation — money that should have gone to essential services.”

Despite the UK charges, the Malawian government has faced criticism for its continued dealings with companies linked to Sattar. In November 2023, the Ministry of Finance authorized a payment of nearly $5 million for armored vehicles under a contract initially signed with Malachite FZE, a company tied to the businessman.

The Duel of Silks: King’s Counsels Face Off in Landmark Sattar Case

One signal of just how high the stakes are in the upcoming corruption trial of Zuneth Sattar is this: both lead lawyers are King’s Counsels (K.C.), the legal world’s equivalent of heavy artillery.

Appointed by the monarch, a King’s Counsel is a senior barrister recognized for exceptional skill in courtroom advocacy, particularly in complex and high-profile cases. The title shifts with the crown—Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) under a queen, now K.C. under King Charles III—but its prestige has remained unchanged for centuries.

Informally, they’re known as “silks”, a nod to the distinctive silk gowns they wear in court. Only a select few ever earn the title, making each appointment a mark of distinction at the very top of the profession.

On one side of the courtroom stands Simon Farrell, K.C., representing Sattar. Farrell is regarded as one of the U.K.’s foremost defense barristers in cases involving commercial fraud, bribery, money laundering, and sanctions law. With an international footprint that spans Gibraltar, Jersey, Italy, Malawi, Dubai, and Brunei, he is known for his mastery of complex, cross-border financial crime.

His caseload often involves intricate corporate and trust structures across financial havens such as the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey, Seychelles, and the Cayman Islands. He’s not just an eloquent advocate—he’s a strategic operator with a reputation for leadership in high-stakes litigation teams.

Across from him, prosecuting for the Crown, is Edward Brown, K.C.—a battle-hardened legal veteran whose name regularly appears in law reports. Ranked by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, Brown’s expertise spans commercial disputes, international arbitration, employment and administrative law, human rights, and VAT litigation.

He is particularly seasoned in emergency legal actions—freezing orders, confidential information injunctions, and shareholder disputes—and has acted at every judicial level up to the UK Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. A frequent speaker and published commentator, Brown also lectures on international litigation and arbitration at the University of Milan.

Notably, Brown previously served on the Attorney General’s A Panel, representing the UK government in sensitive and complex matters. He continues to be called upon by government departments as lead counsel in significant and often politically charged cases.

In the courtroom, these two King’s Counsels bring decades of legal firepower—and their clash could shape the future of international anti-corruption enforcement, with Malawi watching every move.

The case, R v. Sattar, case number 00NS5051220, may become one of the most significant anti-corruption prosecutions involving a Malawian citizen abroad.

Whether it results in a conviction or not, it is likely to shape future debates about governance, transparency, and the accountability of public procurement processes in Malawi.