Chisa Mbele
Chairperson of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA), innoncentia Ottober, is demanding K200 million damages from activist Joshua Chisa Mbele over Mbele’s Facebook post.
Mbele has posted on his Facebook account today a notice of intended suit by Ottober’s lawyers, Likongwe and Associates.
The document dated 25 November indicate that the demand for damages is connected to comments Mbele made regarding a US$170 million loan which government-owned Smallholder Farmers Fertilizer Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) agreed to borrow from United Kingdom based company Auzano to finance procurement and transportation of fertilizer for the 2022/23 farming season.
Malawi Government agreed to act as a guarantor for the deal, agreeing to repay the money as well as interests and other fees and charges in case SFFRFM fails to repay.
In his Facebook post, Chisa Mbele alleged that a deal between Auzano and SFFRM did not follow required procurement procedures. He further alleged that Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba attempted to force management at PPDA to backdate a “no objection for Auzano”.
He further alleged that when management resisted, Zamba appointed Ottober as PPDA chairperson.
“Upon realizing that Dr Chilapondwa of PPDA is no walkover, she then appointed one of her close associates, Innocentia Ottober to chair the PPDA Board,” wrote Mbele on Facebook.
According to Ottober through her lawyers, the statement has been taken to mean that she does not deserve the position of PPDA chairperson but was only appointed through her closeness to Zamba.
Ottober has also complained that Mbele’s statement means that she is corrupt, she is being manipulated by Zamba and she is unprofessional.
“The defamatory words were published on your Facebook Page which has very many followers within and outside of Malawi. The words were republished in various media platforms including other Facebook pages.
“The allegations you made are completely false and malicious. Our client was appointed to the PPDA Board on the recommendation of the Malawi Law Society (MLS) which was made before Ms Zamba was appointed Secretary to the President and Cabinet.
“The words in their ordinary meaning are defamatory and have severely injured our client’s reputation,” reads part of the letter.
Ottober has since demanded Mbele to apologise and to state in the apology that he fabricated the statements he made, that the statements are untrue and that Ottober is a “professional person doing her job as chairperson of PPDA professionally”.
Mbele has also been demanded to pay Ottober the sum of K200 million as damages for defamation.
In a post on his Facebook account today, Mbele who is also a businessperson has asked Malawians to pray for him.
“I have a misfortune from PPDA Chairperson who is demanding MK200 million from me. Though I unconditionally apologized for saying her closeness with SPC is compromising her independence. Fellow Malawians, I need your prayers and intervention of the Holy Spirit,” said Mbele.
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