As PPDA, ACB, didn’t approve Romania fertiliser deal….
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The overrated Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale has been left in the cold to solely explain to Malawians on how the botched MK128 billion fertiliser deal with a Romanian firm was signed before approval.
Both Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have told the nation that they did not approve the deal with a Romanian firm due to lack of a supporting legal framework.
PPDA public relations manager Kate Kujaliwa said the authority was initially engaged on the transaction.
She said: “We wish to confirm that PPDA was indeed involved in this process and how. The Ministry of Agriculture submitted a request for guidance if the transaction it wanted to undertake with East Bridge of Romania falls under public procurement legal framework.
“The authority responded to the Ministry that this is not provided in the public procurement legal framework. It further provided guidance that it should proceed to seek guidance from the Attorney General and Ministry of Finance.”
But Ministry of Agriculture, the main party in the deal, told our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday of June 11 2023 that it engaged all related government contracts clearing institutions.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said: “We have followed all procurement provisions, and no law was broken.”
He listed PPDA, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) and the Attorney General (AG) as among those engaged.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda has said he was consulted four times by the ministry and he shared his opinion on the deal.
He, however, could not be drawn to divulge details of what he advised the ministry and whether approaching him four times meant he had reservations.
FIA senior public relations officer Grace Thipa confirmed that they were involved in the assessment of the deal.
“I can confirm that the FIA submitted a Due Diligence Report to the Ministry of Agriculture… Our report does not recommend or block MDAs from entering into agreements with third parties,” Thipa told the Nation Newspaper.
The deal, in which East Bridge Estate will supply 600 metric tones (MT) of fertilizer in exchange for agricultural commodities, has raised eyebrows.
Kawale now has been left alone going to media door to door justifying the deal while the rest of cabinet members are silent.
This is against the current norm of holding face the press when such serious matters arise in President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government.
