LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has acquitted the directors of Paramount Holdings Limited and the company itself on all criminal charges, bringing a definitive end to a high-profile legal battle that began in 2021.
In a landmark ruling delivered on Friday, June 27, 2025, the court cleared Paramount Holdings directors—Prakash Virji Ghedia, Arvindkumar Atit Patel, and Suresh Khimji Jagatiya—alongside the company, of three criminal charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony and the alleged use of false documents to obtain a government tender.
Significantly, the court issued an order prohibiting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from pursuing any further charges related to the matter against the individuals or the company.
“The accused persons are hereby acquitted from criminal charges,” reads the court’s ruling in Criminal Case No. 868 of 2023. “The court hereby bars the state from bringing any charges against the accused persons on the same grounds.”
The charges, initially filed in July 2021, were based on a complaint by Hendrix Laher, director of Luthando Holdings Limited—a business competitor. Laher alleged that Paramount Holdings had submitted a forged Yamaha dealership certificate to win a motorcycle supply tender issued by JHPIEGO, an international health NGO.
Court documents reveal that both Paramount and Luthando Holdings had submitted bids to supply Yamaha motorcycles to several entities, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and JHPIEGO.
The tender was awarded to Paramount Holdings on July 7, 2020. Laher subsequently lodged a complaint with the Fiscal and Fraud Section of the Malawi Police Service.
However, the case unraveled when the complainant failed to appear in court on at least three occasions.
This lack of cooperation, coupled with an absence of credible evidence, led the Office of the DPP—first under Dr. Steven Kayuni, then under Masauko Edwin Chamkakala—to discontinue the matter.
A formal certificate of discontinuance was issued on March 19, 2024, under Section 77 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code.
After the statutory six-month period passed, the court officially acquitted the accused and barred the state from reopening the case.
The ruling provides Paramount Holdings and its directors with full legal vindication, enabling them to continue participating in public and donor-funded tenders without restriction or blemish on their record.
In 2022, Yamaha Motor Corporation Japan formally appointed Paramount Holdings as the sole authorized distributor of Yamaha motorcycles and related products in Malawi.
Meanwhile, scrutiny is now turning to Luthando Holdings and its director, Hendrix Laher.
Impeccable sources allege that Laher used the legal system in bad faith to eliminate competition, relying on unofficial channels and political pressure.
“He has consistently used unofficial channels and political connections to harass business rivals, but the truth always comes out,” said a source familiar with the case.
Further concerns have emerged about Luthando Holdings’ unauthorized use of the Yamaha trademark.
The company has reportedly advertised Yamaha-branded products across Malawi—despite lacking any formal authorization from Yamaha Japan. Legal experts have criticized these actions as misleading and potentially fraudulent.
In a related civil case, Luthando Holdings and other companies are challenging Yamaha Japan’s exclusive dealership agreement with Paramount Holdings.
These firms are alleged to have bid for government tenders using documentation from Yamaha agents based in South Africa—raising questions about the legitimacy of such practices under Malawi’s procurement laws.
With its name cleared, Paramount Holdings is now positioned to grow its operations in Malawi with renewed confidence and full legal clarity.