Malawi minister of Agriculture George Chaponda, who is purported to be making parallel structures within the ruling DPP in readiness of wrestling political power from aged President Mutharika in 2019, has been fingered in a maize corruption scandal in Brazil, Maravi Post has leant. Chaponda is said to be in the thick o things scheming the deal alongside Malawi diplomat to Washington DC, Edward Sawerengera where they are expected to share a cut of $24 million US dollars – a 10 percent of the procurement deal—when all is said and done. Following the hunger situation in Malawi, Chaponda, as minister of Agriculture connived with Sawerengera to buy yellow maize in Brazil and Chaponda assured that he will get Admarc to approve the deal.
This was when Sawerengela was Ambassador in Brazil but now he is Ambassador to the USA in Washington DC.
Surprisingly, despite Sawelengela moving to United States, Chaponda, on behalf of the government, is still instructing him to travel to Brazil to handle the maize deal thereby by-passing his successor there, Malawi’s most senior diplomat Brian Bowler.
Media reports have quoted Ambassador Bowler saying that his mission in Brazil is not handling any maize transactions or deals.
“No maize deal is in my handover notes as I have only been in Brazil for two months”.
Bowler also told the media that he was surprised to read in the newspapers and learn on the radio that Malawi was buying maize in Brazil.
“I contacted the Ambassador of Brazil to Malawi and he too was ignorant of any maize procurement,” said Bowler.
Reports indicate that Brazilian Ambassador in Malawi Gustavo Martins Nogueira contacted Admarc CEO Foster Mulumbe offering to assist Malawi “in any way possible.”
And when Mulumbe was asked if he knew which companies and traders in Brazil involved in the maize purchase operation reportedly told Brazilian Ambassador that he did not know any details because Sawerengela and higher authorities were organizing the deal.
According to Nogueira, the Brazilian people are ready to assist Malawians in time of crisis.
“We took heed of President Mutharika’s appeal for assistance. The Government of Malawi can count on Brazil for support in its efforts towards food security and economic development,” said Ambassador Nogueira.
But Chaponda and Sawerengela, despite President Mutharika’s best intentions to have Malawi food secure, are determined to collect their 10% even if it means buying GMO yellow maize. Brazil produces 95% of its production of yellow maize as GMO.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Sawelengela will be conducting these negotiations on behalf of the government.
Asked as to what he feels to see another Ambassador encroaching into his jurisdiction, Bowler responded that “we are living in strange times and having served four Heads of State you never stop learning”.
DPP’s strongman, Chaponda, has had previous run ins with Ambassador Bowler in New York, when Ambassador Bowler reported serious corruption involving peacekeeping funds to him and Chaponda failed to report this matter to the Anti Corruption Bureau.
Maravi Post reported that Ambassador Bowler went on to report the corruption to the President and the ACB.
Pressed on his relationship with former Foreign Minister Chaponda, he simply said, he has no respect for him whatsoever.
Ambassador Bowler further commented that he read in the newspapers that Judases have surrounded the president.
“The biggest Judas, in my opinion, is Chaponda and I don’t expect him to like me,” Bowler said. “The greatest fear is fear itself,” he added.
In a special interview with Maravi Post, Ambassador Bowler urged all civil servants to serve President Mutharika and the people of Malawi faithfully saying people should emulate president Mutharika’s zero-tolerance stand on corruption for the country to move forward.
Our efforts to talk to Minister Chaponda and diplomat Sawerengera proved futile as we filed this report.