The Executive Board of ADMARC , through its special established committee on issues concerning the Zambia maize scam,on Wednesday disclosed that it has fired the ADMARC Executive Director Foster Mulumbe , and the Director of Operations, Feckson Kantonga, after finalizing its inquiry.
Headed by Ken Ndanga, the special committee said they found a lot of irregularities in the procurement procedures.
According to them, they also found that Mulumbe performed his duties in an unsatisfactory and inefficient manner, especially in the whole process of procuring maize from Zambia.
“Procurement procedures were not followed, hence the decision,” said Ndanga.
However, Ndanga denied to disclose the full report of their findings, while referring this reporter to the Board Chairperson, James Masumbu.
In his remarks, Masumbu admitted that the special committee resolved to fire Mulumbe, but ask for more time before he makes more comments on the matter.
He said the findings will be referred to the appointments and disciplinary committee that is mandated to present the full report.
Mulumbe denied to issue a comment on the matter, when contacted.
Meanwhile, the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), said it is still investigating the ex-Minister of Agriculture, Dr. George Chaponda, who was fired in March this year on the same issue.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)–The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) board, this week suspended the company’s chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe. This follows recommendations the board received from two commissions. While one instituted by President Peter Mutharika, the other was by Parliament.
The firing of the CEO is to enable authorized to begin disciplinary proceedings against ADMARC’s senior management for his complicity in the Zambia maize saga.
Mulumbe was implicated in the maizegate scandal, that he may have indulged in corruption together with fired Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development minister, George Chaponda.
Earlier this year, ADMARC board said Mulumbe will not be suspended from his duties as the government claimed to have information and weight of evidence that he had followed procedures with the Government of Zambia and its agencies in the controversial K26 billion procurement deal of maize now popularity known as ‘Maizegate’.
Confirming the suspension, ADMARC board chairperson James Masumbu said on Monday, the board resolved that Mulumbe should be suspended. He is awaiting an internal disciplinary hearing, instituted by board directors after an extraordinary meeting, which took place on Sunday in Blantyre.
According to Masumbu, Deputy Chief Executive of ADMARC, the board appointed Mrs. Magret Mauwa, to be the acting CEO for the State-run commodity trader.
The ADMARC board has also suspended Director of Operations (DO) Feckson Kantonga.
The report, issued by the commission of inquiry set by Mutharika, and headed by retired judge Supreme Court judge and former Chief Justice Anastasia Msosa, found ADMARC management at fault for not failing to follow government procurement procedures and also for allegedly entering into fraudulent contracts.
ADMARC reportedly bought maize at K26 billion from the Zambian company, and it is believed that Malawi could have saved about K9.5 billion if it had bought the grain directly from the Zambian government.
On the other hand, the joint parliamentary committee discovered that ADMARC’s contract with the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) was fraudulent because it was backdated to June 17, 2016, when it was signed after a month just to get approvals from Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP).
Furthermore, the committee found that ADMARC’s alleged fraudulent activities, extended to the internal procurement committee, which recorded that the chairperson was present when in fact he was in Zambia at the time.
Former agriculture minister, Chaponda is also believed to have played a big role in the deal, but there have been no investigations after his suspension to determine his complicity in the grain deal.
Human Rights Consecutive Committee (HRCC), which is a group of 99 organizations that deals with issues of human rights in Malawi, on Friday asked President Peter Mutharika to immediately dissolve the ADMARC board because of its failure to fire ADMARC officials who were named in the Zambia maize scam.
According to the statement filed by the HRCC, dated 23 March, 2017, and signed by the organization’s chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba, the board’s delay to fire the ADMARC maize-gate suspects, indicate that it has failed its obligation.
The HRCC wondered why the ADMARC board failed to comply with the recommendations made by the commission of the inquiry in the maize scam that included disciplining the suspects.
However, government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, challenged the HRCC’s call.
According to Dausi, the organization should have met with the ADMARC board first before coming up with the decision.
However, the board is yet to issue a comment on the matter.
Of Chaponda, DPP and firebombing at agriculture ministry office: Malawi is increasingly becoming conducive for crooks, thieves, gangsters
Renowned anticorruption crusader Professor Patrick Lumumba was spot-on by saying “The tragedy of Africa is that we elect people who turn out to be like hyenas. We tell them to look after goats, and we expect to find the goats when we come back.” This is indeed a tragedy for Malawi which has been in democracy for 23 years after spending 31 years in one party system.
Our ancestors used to say multiparty is war, we wish if they were here we could have pat on their back and shoulders conceding in confession adding it’s not only about war but theft, destruction, lawlessness and corruption. Though war has not blown off yet but taking in mind the status quo of current situation war is not far from breaking up in our country. It is not war that will be caused by Tanzania, Zambia or Mozambique as the fears were when we had peace and tranquility in the olden days. This war will blow from within.
Multiparty democracy has brought worst scenario in the history of our country. In multipartism we have seen armed robbers killing innocent citizens, in multiparty we have witnessed killers being arrested and get released the next day, we have noticed that government properties are at risk of destruction starting from money that have been and are still being stolen in billions. Properties torched where no-one is apprehended. Snakes and mentally disturbed people entering the most protected state houses, Government leaders, from the president to ministers stealing with impunity as if they have another country to go other than Malawi.
The Office of Minister George Chaponda on fire
Moral society has completely changed and graduated into an unwanted immorality class. State assets vandalized and no one gets arrested. Malawi has unfortunately and shamefully turned into a jungle state. Those who call themselves leaders and presidents have just undressed themselves to show their naked truth that they are mafias and crooks.
They are ruffians preying on citizens and nation state. No one apart from the poor folks is voicing against this evil while the majority in the echelons and elites are tormenting and skinning the country.
Moral values have disappeared, those few remaining to voice for the welfare of the country are enemies of state labeled as dissidents.
At the dawn of multiparty dispensation those that voiced for the poor and stood for truth were decorated and revered. In the Malawi of today the supposed to be speakers of the people and nation have changed; they are labeled as suspects while real thieves are enjoying and rejoicing their dirty acts of corruption.
We used to have problems of governance under Kamuzu Banda and when the situation reached this point he would come down with sanity and changed our country. This is why we are a multiparty nation because change came from Kamuzu Banda himself. After realizing the country was in tension from within and without, he baptized himself with maturity and changed the nation.
Kamuzu Banda was capable of everything he had well equipped military wing, he had infiltrated the entire society with informers and whistle blowers. He had state machinery and mechanism under his palm but when the going got tougher he became more human and called for the choice of the people to be respected. “Salute to you founding father the statesman despite your other ills but you loved this nation.”
He called for the referendum and allowed citizens to debate their future. Upon agreeing to change elections were called, exiles granted amnesty to return home. On election day when counting was still under way Kamuzu without consulting his stalwarts and party die-hard supporters went on air and announced in concession that his rival Bakili Muluzi had won election, the country needed to remain peaceful, he was ready and prepared to step down and help Muluzi keep developing this nation. This was patriotism and conservative leader of the century.
Today the country has gone in the hands of heartless people that came into politics through the window. They are thieves that were supposed to be judged with death sentence if Kamuzu Banda was a ruler today. They steal billions of money from the state and come back to burn state properties in an effort to destroy evidence. The president of the time Peter Mutharika relaxes when the country and state institutions are in inferno.
Countless crimes have been and are still being committed but Peter Mutharika tumbles and still rules.
Am tempted to believe that outside Kamuzu Banda, we have no one who loves this country. Kamuzu Banda built a new capital city and so many infrastructures including capital hill today Peter Mutharika sends his boys to burn it to hide their evil theft.
Under the Mutharikas we hear of buildings catching fire, burning voting papers. Under the Mutharikas, state properties and money are at risk of being transmuted into ash while billions are siphoned to America.
As children of Dr. Kamuzu Banda the man who sacrificed his luxurious comfort zone in exchange for peace and accepted defeat we say:-
“We are not going to allow again thieves in DPP government under Peter Mutharika to burn another state building or state structure. We are not going to let Peter Mutharika and his thieves to keep vandalizing our country, it is better for us to die than watching the destruction of our nation. Malawi is our country, it is the country of our children and great children we would rather die in its protection than live watching.”
Peter Mutharika, George Chaponda and the entire team of DPP thieves are warned to read the Bible book of Daniel. Time for King Nebuchadnezzar to go has come. Peter Mutharika must read the signs of time. This letter is written in English with the words “Mene Mene Tekel Ufarisin”
Not another day shall we allow you to vandalize and scandalize Malawi. Not another day should we tolerate this theft destroying and putting our nation and citizens to shame.
If you are a true leader start acting, arrest all the thieves and stop burning buildings. We are already in disasters of man-made as well as natural we cannot and should not destroy our future because of few greedy and corrupt leaders.
Failing to act by removing the red carpet of thieves, corruption, greed, arson and destruction of the nation…….We will as citizens.
Citizenship is nothing if we stand and watch. Citizenship is useless if we let thieves vandalize our nation.
This nonsense of leadership must stop now or never.
Saunders Jumah the Utopian
SAVE MALAWI FOUNDATION (SAMAFO)
People’s Movement for Restoration of Malawi (PEREMO)
Malawi Freedom Network (MFN)
Mzika Za Mdziko Movement (MZM)
Malawi Watch.
[fear is betrayal sometimes]
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)–The death of George Bakuwa, who was company secretary of Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc), has been linked to the rotten maize deal currently under probe.
According to the Daily Times, the joint parliamentary committee probing the dubious maize deal has gathered that the Zambian Cooperative Federation (ZCF) paid for the funeral expenses of the late George Bakuwa including repatriation of the body to Malawi.
rampant corruption in Malawi government departments
Bakuwa died while on a maize procurement assignment in Zambia. This was his last assignment as an Admarc official as he had just been sworn in as High Court judge.
Leader of the Malawi delegation Joseph Chidanti-Malunga explained to the local paper that ZCF officials admitted to have paid for the expenses perhaps as courtesy since Bakuwa was one of government officials who the company was dealing with in the procurement of the 100,000 metric tonnes of maize.
“We have been told that ZCF arranged payment for the expenses of everything including transport and we are wondering how this was possible because we expected government to have handled that. So, we have arranged some unofficial meetings on Friday [today] with some people to share us some details on what they know,” he said as quoted by the Daily Times.
Meanwhile, Director General of Kaloswe Commuter and Courier Limited, Felix Nyirongo, has reaffirmed its plans to sue the Admarc, saying they were duped in the maize deal.
It is reported that Admarc officials persuaded Kaloswe to alter some clauses in the contract so that payment should be made through ZCF.
The revelation contradicts what Admarc Chief Executive Officer, Foster Mulumbe, told Parliament that it was Kaloswe which suggested that the Letter of Credit amounting to $34.5 million should be in favour of ZCF.
According to Nyirongo, once the contract was altered Admarc officials, kicked Kaloswe out of the deal.
Malawi president Peter Mutharika has extended the deadline for the Commission of Inquiry probing the K26 billion Zambia maize-gate scandal.
According to the press statement signed by the chairperson of the commission, former chief justice Anastasia Msosa, this is because the timeframe given to the commission at first was not enough.
Msosa said that Mutharika has extended their work to nine February from 31 January, 2017.
“It has pleased the President Peter Mutharika to grant extension to the commission. This is because of the nature of the inquiries and information to be analyzed,” reads part of the statement.
However, the maize deal has taken a new twist following fresh revelations sourced by the country’s fearless media house, Daily Times.
George Chaponda: at the centre of the dubious maize deal
In its edition of 30th January, the paper has indicated that Officials involved in the Maize deal between Malawi and Zambia had allegedly connived to deliver only a few tonnes of the mentioned 100,000 metric tonnes then furnish the nation with a bill for the entire tonnage of the grain.
The Daily Times’ information sourced from Zambia, Admarc planned to purchase only a few tonnes because the purported traders Zambia Cooperative Federation did not have the capacity to deliver the staple grain in the first place.
The information is in line with what Chief Executive Officer for Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) Foster Mulumbe said while probed by members of a parliamentary joint committee of Agriculture and Public Accounts which is probing the dubious deal.
Mulumbe said that both Kaloswe Commuter and Courier Ltd and ZCF, which were contracted to supply the maize, did not have the capacity raising questions as to why Admarc went ahead with the dubious deal.
“It’s very clear that ZCF could not manage to supply the 100,000 tonnes and so the question is why Admarc did sign such a contract when the supplier had no capacity? The plan was to move only few tonnes and pay for 100,000 tonnes.
ZCF is sourcing this maize from its members mostly from the eastern province which is closer to Malawi in order to reduce transport costs,” said the source as quoted by the Daily Times.
The source further added that ZCF is facing hurdles to get the stock from cooperative members because the profit margin is very tight.
Said the source, “They are sourcing the maize in the region of above $250-$285 per metric tonne, and Lusaka to Chipata transport cost is $85 per metric tonne, while Chipata to Lilongwe it is at least $38 per metric tonne. ZCF is cash-strapped to afford cash payments to its suppliers of maize .Farmer cooperatives in the country are demanding cash before they hand over stock to ZCF for the Malawi deal.”
Malawians, recently, had a rude awakening after learning that Admarc officials signed the contracts with Zambian companies without the knowledge of the Capital Hill.
This was revealed by Secretary to the Treasury Ronald Mangani who appeared before the joint committee.
Government official have been contradicting each other regarding the maize deal.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the joint committee is expected to travel to Zambia on Tuesday to interview stakeholders involved in the deal.
Government borrowed K24 billion from PTA Bank for the purchase of the 100,000 metric tonnes of maize in the wake of hunger facing the country.
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Commissioner General, Thom Malata, has said 4, 210 metric tonnes of maize are recorded in MRA’s system to have been imported into the country from Zambia by the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).
Joseph Chidanti Malunga and Thom Malata
Malata appeared before the joint parliamentary committee of Agriculture and Public Accounts at Parliament building in Lilongwe where he tendered his testimony in relation to the procurement of maize from Zambia by Admarc.
His disclosure that 4, 210 metric tonnes of the staple grain are recorded in MRA’s system contradicts an earlier testimony by Admarc Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Foster Mulumbe, who said before the same committee that Admarc had imported 4, 512 metric tonnes from Zambia.
Currently, it is not known where the difference of 302 tonnes came from and the joint committee has vowed to pursue the matter further by inquiring from other stakeholders that are said to have played a role in the procurement process.
Said Malata in his testimony: “4, 210 is what the system is showing as having passed through our Mwanza Border. That is the cumulative total of the tonnage from the 150 tracks that ferried the maize into the country. That is what our data is showing.”
Asked what he made of the discrepancy that is there between his testimony and that of Mulumbe, Malata said there could have been other sources of the grain which MRA did not record.
“We are using the information that we have in our system because that is what is available to us,” said Malata.
For at least two times, he denied having any other knowledge of the tonnage that Admarc brought into the country apart from 4, 210 tonnes.
Malata also courted controversy when he told the joint committee that MRA had pre-cleared the whole 100, 000 tonnes which Admarc had declared it would be importing.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Blantyre City West, Tarcisio Gowelo, just like other members of the committee, said the lawmakers were also worried that MRA might have been duped in the process since there were some documents from the supplier which did not seem authentic.
“There are some documents that are not stamped or signed. We are trying to find out whether MRA was not duped in the process,” said Gowelo.
However, Malata maintained that he believed MRA had taken all the necessary measures it is required to take to ensure tax processes are followed.
In an interview after the meeting, Chairperson of the joint committee, Joseph Chidanti Malunga, said the discrepancies are worrying.
“The Admarc CEO was here yesterday and he told us something that is different from what we have been told today. There are several discrepancies which we will be probing as we continue meeting different other stakeholders,” said Malunga.
“Put my personal cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his grain money.” And the steward did as Joseph had told him.
When they had left the city, and were not yet far away, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil to us for good paid to you? Genesis 44:2, 4
The world’s first grain deal was when Israel (aka Jacob) sent his sons to buy grain in Egypt at a time his country had a severe famine. Joseph who had been sold by his brother into slavery, was now chief minister in Egypt and in charge of all grain sells in this foreign country. Continue reading MY TAKE ON IT: Ten billion Kwacha Maize-steal during famine is TREASON→
Malawi’s law experts have on Monday discredited the newly established commission of inquiry on the K26 billion Zambia maize-gate scandal.
On Sunday, President Peter Mutharika established a commission of inquiry headed by the former chief justice Anastasia Msosa to investigate the suspected rotten maize deal and bring the results within 30 days.
Admarc chief executive Foster Mulumbe is suspected to have corruptly bought the 100000 metric tonnes of maize.
Minister of Agriculture George Chapond who is being accused of having a hand in K26 billion maize-gate, on Monday rubbished the calls for his resignation advanced by some Malawians and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), arguing the ADMARC issues do not concern the minister.
On Sunday, some CSOs gave the Agriculture Minister a 21-day ultimatum to resign or face massive protest in order to pave way for investigation.
The COSs have also asked government to fire ADMARC Chief Executive Officer Foster Mulumbe for being corrupt and incompetent.
George Chaponda
However, Chaponda described such CSOs as his enemies who always aim at ending his job.
He said such CSOs have been saying this since he has been a minister.
“Why should I resign? Such calls do not make sense at all. As a minister, I am not mandated to take part in the process of purchasing maize,” said Chaponda.
He said there is high exaggeration and cooked stories concerning him in the Zambian maize deal.
“Issues of purchasing maize in Zambia concern ADMARC and my journey there was just for policy issues and negotiate the price with the Zambian government,” he disclosed.
Mulumbe denied to issue a comment on the matter saying the matter is under investigation.
Meanwhile, President Peter Mutharika has established the commission of inquiry to investigate the rotten maize deal and bring the results within 30 days.
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