The U.S. authorities have banned four former Malawi officials, declaring them generally ineligible for entry into the United States due to their involvement in significant corruption.

This was disclosed in a statement published by the Department of State on Wednesday.

The affected officials are former solicitor general and principal secretary of justice Reyneck Matemba, former public procurement and disposal of assets agency director John Suzi-Banda, former Malawi police service attorney Mwabi Kaluba, and former inspector general of the Malawi police service George Kainja,

According to the statement, the U.S. government said Messrs Matemba, Suzi-Banda, Kaluba, and Kainja abused their public positions by accepting bribes and other articles of value from a private businessperson in exchange for awarding a government procurement contract for the Malawi Police Service.

The government further stated that “The United States stands with Malawians working towards a more just and prosperous nation by promoting accountability for corrupt officials, including advocating for transparency and integrity in government procurement processes. 

“These designations reaffirm the United States’ commitment to counter corruption, which stifles economic growth and development, hinders investment, and erodes trust in government.”