Malawi’s anti-graft watchdog has dramatically torpedoed a National Audit Office (NAO) recruitment exercise after uncovering what it describes as evidence of leaked examination papers and suspected bribery.
In a stunning intervention, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has ordered the cancellation of the recruitment process for the posts of Assistant Auditor General (IT/IS Forensic) and Auditor, directing the NAO to start afresh.
A statement dated October 21, 2026, and signed by ACB Acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi, says the decision follows investigations into allegations of irregularities and unfair practices during the recruitment exercise.
According to the Bureau, investigators uncovered evidence that examination papers were circulated in an internal NAO WhatsApp group before candidates sat the tests.
Even more explosively, the ACB says a senior NAO official is suspected of receiving a bribe from one of the applicants.
“The investigations have uncovered evidence that examination papers were shared within an internal NAO WhatsApp group and that a senior NAO official received a suspected bribe from one of the job applicants,” the statement says.
The Bureau has now directed the country’s supreme audit institution to rerun the recruitment exercise under a fresh, transparent and fair process.
But the fallout may be far from over.
The ACB says criminal proceedings will be pursued against individuals suspected of involvement in the alleged wrongdoing, while public institutions will also receive fresh guidance on preventing corruption in recruitment.
The latest development marks a major escalation in a scandal that has dogged the recruitment exercise for weeks.
Earlier this month, the ACB halted the hiring process amid allegations that aptitude-test questions had been leaked to favoured candidates, some of whom allegedly paid for access to the material.
At the time, the Bureau warned that allowing the recruitment to continue could compromise ongoing investigations.
The NAO subsequently suspended the exercise and preserved key records, including recruitment advertisements, shortlisting documents, selection criteria and materials linked to the preparation, storage, administration and marking of the aptitude tests.
A whistleblower complaint being investigated by the Bureau alleged that aptitude-test questions were shared with relatives of Human Resources personnel working in the verification unit. Other candidates were alleged to have paid for access to the questions.
The controversy has cast a shadow over an institution charged with safeguarding accountability in public spending.
The National Audit Office is Malawi’s Supreme Audit Institution, mandated to audit the use of public funds and expose financial mismanagement across government.
Particularly sensitive is the Assistant Auditor General (IT/IS Forensic) position, a key role in detecting digital fraud, cyber-related financial crimes and the misuse of public resources.
With the recruitment process now scrapped and criminal investigations gathering pace, attention will turn to whether the Bureau’s findings lead to prosecutions and broader reforms in public sector hiring.
The ACB says investigations remain active and that those implicated in the alleged corruption will face separate legal action.
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