Veteran politician Yeremia Chihana finds herself at the heart of a growing scandal that has allegedly raised broken promises, neglected demand and boring off-court settlements, with over Mk 12 million on unpaid airline tickets allegedly scamming local travel agents, Zoe Tours and travel.
According to court documents filed in the commercial division of the High Court in Lilongwe, Chihana has obtained an astounding air ticket of MK24,693,809.00 between May and July 2022.
Despite initially paying MK15,711,920.00, the balance of MK8,981,889.00 remains unpaid. It swelled to MK12,235,997.00 after adding a legal fee of MK3,254,108.00.
The case, which was primarily sided by Justice Maronda, paints a disturbing picture of how Chihana used his political height to gain trust.
Zoe Tours and Trips, represented by manager Lucy Falla, say that after several successful deals, they have built a reputation as trustworthy clients. However, that trust turned into betrayal. “We gave him the benefit of doubt. He said he would pay by returning to Malawi. He didn’t,” Falla said in a statement from her witness. “We followed him for months. He dodged, delayed and ultimately downplayed every effort to restore what we owed.”
The WhatsApp record filed in court reveals a series of excuses from Chihana, followed by a sudden declaration that he is not liable for the full payment, and instead allows him to settle his bill by claiming that another individual has purchased the ticket. Each refused.
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In shaming the injury, the parties initially agreed to resolve the matter from the court. This is a proposed Zoe Tour that was welcomed in the hopes of avoiding long-term legal combat. But faithful to the pattern, Chihana failed the deal at the last minute, started playing the game, leaving no options to the agency other than pursuing legal remedies.
“This is not just a matter of debt,” a source close to the incident commented. “It’s about a man who takes what he wants, uses people’s services, and leaves without respecting his words. It’s a face slap to a small business doing what’s floating in a tough economy.”
The scandal raises serious questions about accountability and character, especially for those who continue to have an influence in Malawian politics. As the cases unfold, Zoe Tours and Travel want justice and full payment.
The court has not yet ruled, but damage to Chihana’s reputation may already be undertaken.
