Tonse Cabinet Ministers involved in the AIP fertiliser deal syndicate
The executive bypassed and flouted all procuring procedures to loot the ministry,
SFFRFM Chief Executive Officer Richard Chikunkhuzeni has told a joint parliamentary committee that the K750 million fertiliser deal which went sour was more exciting to the Ministry of Agriculture than any other stakeholder.
Chikunkhuzeni says then Principal Secretary of Agriculture Sandram Maweru introduced the fund to Bakaart Food Company.
He has added that SFFRFM sought its board’s approval to make an advance payment of K750 million to the company.
This revelation is in contradiction to the board’s chairperson Marjorie Maluwa Phiri’s statement that the board was bypassed on all money issues.
Board Chairperson for the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) Innocencia Ottober has told a joint parliamentary committee that the institution did not receive any submission from the Ministry of Agriculture or SFFRFM regarding the advance payment of K750 million fertiliser procurement deal between the government of Malawi and Bakaart Food Company.
Ottober and the Authority’s Director General Eddington Chilapondwa have also distanced PPDA from an alleged K30 billion fertiliser deal.
The committee is investigating the alleged misprocurement and mismanagement of public resources in the Affordable Inputs Programme for this year.
Mean while government has terminated the contract of Secretary of Agriculture, Sandram Maweru.
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has confirmed the development.
Last week, President Lazarus Chakwera also sacked Minister of Agriculture Lobin Lowe over the chaotic manner in which the ministry was handling the Affordable Inputs Programme.