Chaponda to appear before parliamentary inquiry

Suspended Malawi minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda is to appear before the joint parliamentary committee on maize deal to explain his role in the controversial purchase of maize from Zambia.

Chaponda’s appearance follows several meetings that the joint committee had for the past week, probing the allegations of corruption in the maize purchase. According to reports, it is feared t

hat Malawi lost billions of money in buying the staple grains from Zambia.

Reacting on the matter, the joint committee has been summoning different parastatals to give their explanation on the maize scam reports.

However, the committee is expected to hear from Chaponda on Friday who is at the centre of talks on the controversial maize purchase.

The committee wants to know Chaponda’s involvement in the purchasing process as reports implicated him to have had a leading role.

Following reports of dubious transactions that Malawi had in Zambia in buying the staple grains, Chaponda has been under fire from different stakeholders who called for his resignation.

He is on record to have told the public that his involvement was minimal saying that he only travelled twice to Zambia to facilitate the maize deal.