Court adjourns couple's citizenship, assets case

Limbe Magistrate Court in Blantyre has adjourned to August 24, 2026 cases involving alleged immigration, citizenship and property-related offences against Blantyre-based couple Chaudhry Azhar Mahmood and Neelam Azhar Mahmood. The couple, through their lawyer Bright Theu, Monday applied to have the charges dismissed, arguing that they lacked a proper basis and were based on speculation. Chaudhry is accused of falsely presenting himself as Pakistan's honorary consular representative in Malawi to obtain diplomatic privileges, including tax exemptions and the registration of vehicles under consular status between 2018 and 2022. His wife, Neelam, is accused of giving false information to a public officer after allegedly claiming to be a Malawian citizen in an application seeking government consent to transfer property ownership in Blantyre to a family trust. Court documents indicate that Neelam is a British national residing in Malawi on a permanent residence permit. Speaking after the adjournment, Theu said they were ready to proceed with the application. "But the State prosecutor requested an adjournment because he needed time to get in touch with the complainant and understand the basis of the complaint," Theu said. Last week, Senior Resident Magistrate Akia Mwanyongo issued arrest warrants for the two, ordering the Malawi Police Service to bring them before the court. However, the accused challenged the warrants, leading to their suspension. Court documents show that Chaudhry, a businessman of Pakistani origin, is also facing charges of making false statements to public officers and obtaining Malawian citizenship through alleged misrepresentation. The State alleges that between 2001 and 2004, he made false declarations to immigration authorities, resulting in the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Malawian citizenship. Businessman Austin Lajabu is the person who intended to purchase the property linked to the allegations against Neelam. In his affidavit, Lajabu said he learnt about the sale of the property through an estate agent in 2025 and reached an agreement to purchase it in 2026. He said he later discovered that the registered owners were Nirala Kautilal Rejavi and Manjula Guladbas Devraj and that the property transfer process was underway in favour of Mahli Trust. Lajabu said the application for consent to transfer the property listed the accused persons as trustees of Mahli Trust and indicated that they had claimed to be Malawian citizens.

WIRE — Limbe Magistrate Court in Blantyre has adjourned to August 24, 2026 cases involving alleged immigration, citizenship and property-related offences against Blantyre-based couple Chaudhry Azhar Mahmood and Neelam Azhar Mahmood. The couple, through their lawyer Bright Theu, Monday applied to have the charges dismissed, arguing that they lacked a proper basis and were based on speculation. Chaudhry is accused of falsely presenting himself as Pakistan's honorary consular representative in Malawi to obtain diplomatic privileges, including tax exemptions and the registration of vehicles under consular status between 2018 and 2022. His wife, Neelam, is accused of giving false information to a public officer after allegedly claiming to be a Malawian citizen in an application seeking government consent to transfer property ownership in Blantyre to a family trust. Court documents indicate that Neelam is a British national residing in Malawi on a permanent residence permit. Speaking after the adjournment, Theu said they were ready to proceed with the application. "But the State prosecutor requested an adjournment because he needed time to get in touch with the complainant and understand the basis of the complaint," Theu said. Last week, Senior Resident Magistrate Akia Mwanyongo issued arrest warrants for the two, ordering the Malawi Police Service to bring them before the court. However, the accused challenged the warrants, leading to their suspension. Court documents show that Chaudhry, a businessman of Pakistani origin, is also facing charges of making false statements to public officers and obtaining Malawian citizenship through alleged misrepresentation. The State alleges that between 2001 and 2004, he made false declarations to immigration authorities, resulting in the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Malawian citizenship. Businessman Austin Lajabu is the person who intended to purchase the property linked to the allegations against Neelam. In his affidavit, Lajabu said he learnt about the sale of the property through an estate agent in 2025 and reached an agreement to purchase it in 2026. He said he later discovered that the registered owners were Nirala Kautilal Rejavi and Manjula Guladbas Devraj and that the property transfer process was underway in favour of Mahli Trust. Lajabu said the application for consent to transfer the property listed the accused persons as trustees of Mahli Trust and indicated that they had claimed to be Malawian citizens.

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