ADMARC chief cleared

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:25:27 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

MALAWIAN produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) chief executive officer, Foster Mulumbe, will not be suspended from his duties as government claims to have information and weight of evidence that he followed procedure with Government of Zambia and its agencies in the controversial MK 26 billion procurement deal of maize now christened as “maizegate”.

The civil society organization (CSOs) and the parliamentary public accounts committee have called for the resignation of Mulumbe and Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda, saying their continued stay in their positions would “jeopardise  investigations”.

However, Mr Chaponda has refused to step down, saying he was not involved in the procurement and pushed the blame on Mr Mulumbe and his management team.

“I have said now and again that I am not involved in the actual procurement of maize,’’ Mr Chaponda said.

He said those pushing for his resignation were pursuing  a vendetta against him and Mr Mulumbe has refused to comment, saying doing so would prejudice the matter which was under investigation.

But documents of communication from his office show that Admarc made formal request to purchase 300,000 metric tonnes from Zambia following a go-ahead given by Capital Hill in Lilongwe.

Last year in May, Mr Mulumbe  wrote to the Zambia Food Reserve Agency formally requesting the purchase of 300,000 metric tonnes by the corporation.