MALAWI PASSPORT FLAGGED

• Malawi placed on U.S. watch list over issuance of diplomatic passport to shady Nigerian businessman

• Tingo Group CEO Dozy Mmobuosi was recently fined K500 billion by a U.S. court for “massive financial fraud”

BY PIJ REPORTER

Malawi finds itself in hot water with the U.S. government after it emerged that a Nigerian businessman—now convicted of fraud in the U.S.—was issued a Malawian diplomatic passport under dubious circumstances. The scandal has placed Malawi on a “yellow list” of countries with weak passport security measures, raising the spectre of possible travel restrictions.

According to a report in The New York Times, Malawi’s inclusion on the list stems from concerns over its ability to share sufficient traveller information, lax passport security, and citizenship laws that may enable individuals from banned countries to obtain Malawian documentation.

Washington has given Lilongwe a 60-day deadline to address these concerns or risk being moved to the “orange list,” which would impose travel restrictions, or worse, the “red list,” which could result in a complete travel ban to the U.S.

The businessman at the centre of this controversy is Dozy Mmobuosi, the CEO of Tingo Group, who was recently fined $250 million (about K500 billion) by a U.S. court after being found guilty of orchestrating a massive financial fraud.

In June 2023, PIJ broke the story of how, despite his chequered past, Mmobuosi was granted a Malawian diplomatic passport just two hours after applying, an expedited process that has raised eyebrows. The passport, bearing MWD001402, was issued after working hours, around 7 PM—an anomaly given the usual bureaucratic delays Malawian citizens face when applying for passports.

While PIJ was not able to formally establish whether Mmobousi is still travelling on the Malawian diplomatic passport, a highly placed source at the Immigration Department told us that the passport has not been recalled.

This is not the first time a controversial figure has been caught with a Malawian passport. In 2022, Fulgence Kayishema, a Rwandan genocide suspect, was arrested in South Africa while in possession of a Malawian passport, further fueling concerns that the country’s immigration system is being exploited by criminals.

Who Authorized Mmobuosi’s Passport?

At the time of the passport issuance, both the Homeland Affairs and Foreign Affairs ministries distanced themselves from the scandal, claiming no knowledge of Mmobuosi’s expedited passport issuance.

“We are not aware. The authority [to issue the passport] did not come from us,” said Foreign Affairs spokesman John Kabaghe told PIJ.

At the time, Homeland Security spokesperson Patrick Botha also denied knowledge of the matter.

However, an insider within the Immigration Department told PIJ that the order to issue the passport came directly from President Lazarus Chakwera, following a meeting at State House on June 7 with former President Bakili Muluzi and Mmobuosi himself.

Mmobuosi with former presidents Joyce Banda and Bakili Muluzi during the launch of the latter’s Twigwirane Manja initiative on 6 June 2023

A Fraudster's Philanthropy: Smoke and Mirrors?

Interestingly, during his visit to Malawi, Mmobuosi pledged to invest K500 million into the Tigwirane Manja Housing Project in Phalombe, aimed at assisting victims of Cyclone Freddy. Former President Muluzi, the project’s ambassador, lauded Mmobuosi’s generosity, stating he had committed to constructing 100 houses for displaced families.

However, given the fraud allegations against Mmobuosi and his now-disgraced company, Tingo Group, questions linger about whether this was a genuine act of philanthropy or part of a calculated effort to gain influence in Malawi.

Mmobuosi’s Tingo Group: A Web of Lies

Mmobuosi’s legal troubles stem from his leadership of Tingo Group, a company that claimed to be a leading fintech and agricultural technology firm in Africa. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mmobuosi orchestrated a multi-million-dollar scam, fabricating financial reports and falsely inflating company revenues to mislead investors.

One of the most damning revelations from the SEC’s investigation was that Tingo Mobile, a subsidiary of Tingo Group, claimed to have $461.7 million in its Nigerian bank accounts. In reality, the actual balance was less than $50.

A scathing report by Hindenburg Research, a U.S.-based short-selling firm, labeled Tingo as an “exceptionally obvious scam”, causing its stock price to plunge by over 60% within a day. The report also highlighted inconsistencies in Tingo Group’s claims, including fake business partnerships and misleading financials.

Mmobuosi with former presidents Joyce Banda and Bakili Muluzi and other dignitaries during the launch of the latter’s Twigwirane Manja initiative, where he pledged K500 million to help Cyclone Freddy survivors

Malawi's Reputation on the Line

The diplomatic passport scandal has put Malawi’s immigration policies under intense scrutiny, with fears that other criminals may have used Malawian documentation to evade justice.

The country’s immigration department has been plagued by corruption allegations for years, with previous reports indicating that diplomatic passports have been issued to foreigners for a fee.

As the 60-day deadline imposed by the U.S. government looms, Malawian authorities face a tough choice: either tighten passport security measures and restore credibility or risk severe travel restrictions that could hurt ordinary Malawians.