Lilongwe Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba yesterday found former Deputy Chief Executive Officer for National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Gerald Viola and businessperson Chrispin Chingola with a case to answer.
In the case, Viola is accused of singlehandedly awarding a contract to Chingola’s company for the supply of 10,000 metric tonnes of maize worth MK3.3 billion without following procurement procedures.
Nyimba said the state really established elements of cases in all accounts against Chingola and Viola. He added that Viola and Chingola have right to defend themselves by parading their own witnesses.
The two were arrested in October, 2020 by the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB). According to the bureau, it received an allegation that Viola, while working as Deputy Chief Executive Officer for National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), single handedly awarded a contract to a Lilongwe based company called Missie’s Trading owned by Chingola to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of maize worth MK3.3 billion without following procurement procedures.
It was further alleged that later on, Viola demanded 10% of the total contract sum translating to MK330,000,000.00.
The ACB investigations established that Chrispin Chingola conspired with Viola to commit offences under the Corrupt Practices Act, Public Finance Management Act, Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act and the Penal Code.
