Chaponda’s laugh vanishes into thin air: maizegate inquiry recommends ACB probe Agriculture Minister

Feb 11, 2017 Politics 53
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Chaponda George

Malawi’s Agriculture Minister George Chaponda needs to be probed separately on his part in the maize deals the country had with neighbours Zambia, a special set Commission of Inquiry has advised.

In its report presented to President Peter Mutharika on Saturday, the Anastanzia Msosa-led commission notes that the Minister had at some point operated in his personal capacity in several instances which collided with decisions made by Admarc as regards to the purchase of maize from Zambia.

“The Minister (Chaponda) personally asked Admarc to purchase maize from Transglobe, a Malawian company with maize stocks in Chipata, Zambia. This request was rejected by Admarc which had signed a contract with ZCF,” reads the statement in part outlining some of the roles the Minister played in the processes.

While indicating that Chaponda’s trips to Zambia were ‘necessary’ the statement makes mention that he (Chaponda) had suspicious dealings with Transglobe.

“Correspondence made available to the commission disclosed that indeed Transglobe approached the Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia to obtain export permits through their agent Zdnakie Commodities.”

It adds: “The commission also established that when Hon Chaponda went to Zambia as special envoy, Tayub from Transglobe was also in Zambia meeting with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture. This development cannot be attributed to coincidence. It raises suspicion in relation to dealings of the Minister and Transglobe. One can therefore not rule out possibility of corrupt practices between the two parties.”

Ironically in making an appearance before special parliamentary committees into the scandal, Chaponda indicated he was not aware Transglobe reprentatives met government officials in Malawi over the same matter.

In making the recommendations, the committee among other things ask the Mutharika government to consider probing the minister independently.

“The dealings between the Minister of Agriculture in this procurement process should further be investigated by the ACB in the manner Transglobe obtained an export permit from the Agriculture ministry in Zambia to supply maize to Zambia raises suspicions,” it reads.

This comes hot on the heels of calls made to Mutharika to fire or suspend the Minister who has since claimed he was only involved in the policy guidelines part of the deals.

A recently sought injunction depriving the Minister of his duties was vacated last Friday in Blantyre.

The deal involved up to K26 billion of money which Admarc admitted weeks ago to have borrowed from the PTA bank.

(We have more insights on the report in our next entries).

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53 Comments

  2. Amalawi tiyeni tizikonda dziko lathu chilungamo ndichofunika kwa aliyense munthu akalakwawalakwa basi ngatinso sanalakwe kulibwino kunena chilungamo osati zamaboza kuweluza kuli kwaye mulungu

  7. Mr President akudziwapo kanthu;chifukwa dzikanakhala dza chaponda yekha bwezi atamangidwa kale; koma akumuopa kuti akangomumanga aulula ndiye tisalimbane nazo ayi;akudziwa nchauta;

  8. 2019 if u need to vote for u,l will need money u pay some amount l will vote for ur party,because we don’t see benefits of just vote without getting something

  14. acb anyani amenewa he want money fail 4 our duty anali kut pamene akapanga zogula maize ngat ali olakwa all pple who based this kumakako basi many waz suffer becoz of anamachendewa koma 4m today acb ai bola FBI {financial bereau &investigation] 4m donald traup usa

  15. Akudziwa nchauta chilungamo chake, ikumaweluza yokha mizimu ya anthu osauka,afunse abale a ena amene akukhudzidwa ndia cashgate auza kuti mzimu wa munthu ngovuta!!!!! kayaaaaaaaaa zanu izo.

  16. Good recomendetions fro c.o.i but Malawian ACB finding Chaponda wrong is what i least expect.May be if the same C.O.I did the independent investigations on Chaponda.Just stop pursuing this matter as more money will be wasted than that suspected to have been stolen by George Chaponda.There is no justice in Malawi.Arrests are for opposition and poor people only.

  17. Inee palibe muthu wina wondinyasa ngati George Chaponda ndi mfiti oopsa zedi dziko lathu la Malawi kwa muthu aliyense pazomwe atipanga ife palibe amene angaiwale njala ndichilombo

  19. Guys! is dis de same man who said ur just waisting tax payers’ mone simupeza zachinyengo zili zonse! shame on high court judge bravo CSOs viva Chirwa shame 2 on u so called head of state byee ndikukagula chimanga kwa pvt trader @ 10pin/bag

  22. Chaponda is becoming an unexpected Hero when the Presidential Commission has proved his innocence, Chidati Malunga’s (Kamlepo’s) Parliamentary Inquiry has chewedup Taxpayer’s money with no results, Judge Chirwa from the Northern Region High Court errored on his suspension which the highest Court in the land overturned the ruling, then ACB willing to risk another waste of Tax Money over the same.

    2. We still getting nothing from either side of the coin & the Whites like this when we fight amongst ourselves with others becoming Traitors.

    4. The ACB is to probe flouting of Procurement procedures not stealing 9.9 billion as allerged earlier by self decorated well-wishing malawians who have a tribal and regional Vendetta against the Mutharika brand.

    5. Collings/Noah, the issue will switch sides until we spend the very much others are claiming but for Malawi, that will not be a problem cos it will be swept under the carpet & only felt with no knowledge when the economy slides more & deeper.

    6. Parliamentary Agriculture of Inquiry is not funded by tax payers money my brother!!! Go and search again!!! And there report is not ready because they are doing a wide inquiry and not that shallow and narrow inquiry!!!

    7. Abdul, I know you will never know when it involves Tax money & the delays will in the end become Inquirygate which will need another Inquiry for you to know.

  27. Attorney General just wasted his energy and time on defending man Chaponda. The arrows face him again that need sm1 stop them.

    This means CSOs had a point when going to court. Eish!

  29. Attention please and listen, 1. you can’t count your hair. 2. you can’t smile when eating a Dog or a Horse, 3. you can’t breath when your toughe is out.stop acting like a dog and put your toughe inside please. I knew you’ll do that.

  31. Kusekako Chapondayo nkuderera ngati chi Master cha mu film koma choti adziwe ndi ichi’no man is an island.Kumafunikira nkudzipatsa ulemu.

    1. Koma mwambiwo umadziwa tanthauzo lake? Ndiye ndi nkhaniyi zikugwirizana? Kapena kungoti nditchuke kuti umadziwa mwambi wa m’chingelezi oumvera ukuthamanga.

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