A court in Lilongwe cleared three business directors and their company of criminal charges linked to a motorcycle deal scandal. Prakash Virji Ghedia, Arvindkumar Atit Patel, and Suresh Khimji Jagatiya walked free after prosecutors could not prove they used fake papers to win a government contract. The Chief Resident Magistrate ruled that Paramount Holdings Limited did nothing wrong and banned any future charges on the same matter. Judges made this decision after the main witness kept skipping court dates. The state gave up the case completely earlier this year.
The trouble started when rival company boss Hendrix Laher accused Paramount of cheating to win a major deal back in 2020. His firm Luthando Holdings Limited lost out when Paramount scored a contract to supply Yamaha motorcycles to schools, hospitals, and universities across Malawi. Laher claimed Paramount used a dodgy certificate from Yamaha to beat his company and other competitors. The international charity JHPIEGO had put out the tender for the bike supply deal. However, Laher failed to show up in court multiple times to back up his claims.
Paramount can continue doing business with the government after this legal victory. Yamaha Motor Corporation Japan confirmed the company as their only official dealer in Malawi during 2022. Defense lawyers Marshal Chilenga and Gift Katundu celebrated the court decision as a win for justice. Other local businesses are still fighting Paramount through separate civil courts over the exclusive Yamaha partnership agreement.
The trouble started when rival company boss Hendrix Laher accused Paramount of cheating to win a major deal back in 2020. His firm Luthando Holdings Limited lost out when Paramount scored a contract to supply Yamaha motorcycles to schools, hospitals, and universities across Malawi. Laher claimed Paramount used a dodgy certificate from Yamaha to beat his company and other competitors. The international charity JHPIEGO had put out the tender for the bike supply deal. However, Laher failed to show up in court multiple times to back up his claims.
Paramount can continue doing business with the government after this legal victory. Yamaha Motor Corporation Japan confirmed the company as their only official dealer in Malawi during 2022. Defense lawyers Marshal Chilenga and Gift Katundu celebrated the court decision as a win for justice. Other local businesses are still fighting Paramount through separate civil courts over the exclusive Yamaha partnership agreement.
