LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Electoral Commission is facing fresh scrutiny after audit findings revealed irregular payments of MK732,282,244.92 to Grand Palace Hotel during training for the September 2025 Tripartite Elections.
Procurement Officer Susan Maoza processed and paid invoices that charged bed and breakfast for 412 guests between September 6 and September 8, 2025, amounting to MK223,307,200.00 for two nights alone.
Grand Palace Hotel officials later told auditors that the facility has a maximum capacity of only 64 rooms.
The discrepancy means 348 guests appear to have been created on paper to justify the liquidation of hundreds of millions in public funds.
The MaraviPost first reported the alleged fraud a year ago in an article titled “Mzuzu Grand Palace Hotel: MEC caught in public funds fraud.”
That reporting prompted the Commission to block The MaraviPost from taking part in the September 16, 2025 elections.
MEC Publicist Sangwani Mwafulirwa, who denied the outlet accreditation, was accused of abusing public office in retaliation for the story.
Now, another outlet has published detailed findings echoing The MaraviPost’s original exposé, renewing pressure on the Commission.
The new report has been circulated widely as “MEC-GATE,” referencing the scale of the financial irregularity.
Auditors concluded that the invoiced guest numbers far exceeded the hotel’s physical capacity during the September 6–8 training window.
Officials at Grand Palace confirmed to the audit team that they could not have hosted 412 people on site.
The payment to the hotel formed part of broader Election Management Device, EMD, training expenditures ahead of the polls.
The MK223 million charge for two nights alone represents nearly a third of the total MK732 million disbursed to the venue.
Procurement records show Susan Maoza as the officer who processed and authorized the payments.
Critics say the incident illustrates systemic weaknesses in Malawi’s electoral procurement and oversight.
The MaraviPost maintains that its earlier article was accurate and that the subsequent denial of accreditation was punitive.
The outlet’s editor Lloyd Mbwana said the latest revelations vindicate the paper’s reporting and its decision to pursue the story despite pressure.
He noted that MEC’s move to block the paper from covering the September 16, 2025 elections followed directly from the Grand Palace article.
The renewed attention comes as Malawians prepare for the September 2025 Tripartite Elections.
Civil society groups are calling for a full forensic audit of all MEC training and logistics spending.
They are also demanding accountability for officers involved in approving payments that do not match verifiable service delivery.
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee is expected to take up the matter when it resumes scrutiny of electoral spending.
MEC has not yet issued a public response to the latest audit findings at the time of publication.
For now, the Grand Palace case has become a test of whether Malawi’s electoral body can withstand scrutiny over public funds.
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