The Agriculture Minister Dr George Chaponda has opened up about his involvement in the suspicious procurement of the Zambia maize deal saying the order came from President Peter Mutharika.
Chaponda said this during a recorded program ‘Tiwuzeni Zowona’ on Zodiack broadcasting station on Sunday.
According to the minister, Professor Mutharika was the one who ordered him to join ADMARC team to Zambia as a special envoy.
“I went there because the President asked me to go as a special envoy. This was because the deal was government to government and that ADMARC was or is not mandated to directly talk to the Zambia or any foreign Minister of Agriculture especially when having such kind of deal,” said Chaponda.
He rubbished allegation that he played a suspicious game in the procurement of maize saying he is innocent and fears nothing.
The Agriculture Minister also attacked some media houses for being used by his opponents to destroy his name and political career.
“I know the media houses and names of people who wanted to ruin me. They thought this will be my end but they have failed,” added the Chaponda.
He said if the nation wants to know things concerning the financial matters in the whole process of procuring maize from Zambia, they should verify with the ministry of finance.
“I was there for policy issues and not finance, but if you want that ask the ministry of finance,” he argued.
On Saturday, the commission of inquiry in the Zambia maize-gate scam asked President Mutharika to investigate the agriculture minister saying his deal with the Trans Globe company was inappropriate, suspicious and raised issues of corrupt practices.
Uko. Tough times for Chaponda. If he falls, I am sure he will reveal everything.
I smell a Rat, namely Chaponda!
Lungu is not involved in this.
The Maize-gate is a propaganda that UPND wants you to believe is a bigger thing than it is. IGNORE it , it should be water off a duck’s back.
Chaponda, Lungu and Dora acted admirably – speaking as someone who has read the encyclopedia of this case
Thanks
BB2014,16
Malawians are dull and malicious in general. I have discussed with them about this issue, Zambians are better of thinkers.
No money was used. Idea was to get maize from Zambia, sell it in Malawi and then pay Zambian supplier. Malawi had and has no money.
@Mushota, Iwe Mushota keep quiet and go back to the kitchen, let adult discuss with intelligence.
Shame on Mr Miles Sampa. Is this how you get your job back from Mr. Lungu?
If it was during the time of Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda iwe Chaponda, you would be meet for crocodiles.
MEAT has an ‘A’
Uncle Charles,
Which Meet are you talking about? Is it meat beef meet as gathering?
Ayamba kusabaila mainje. Wait until the investigations are over. Why are you issuing statements trying to save face. Holla, your time is now to dance to the music.
The issue here is involving ‘middle’ companies to buy from Zambia, and not from the Zambian government but from private individuals when the deal was a so called government to government. Then because its private companies, then nobody has control of the pricing in the end they spend 4 times as much for the commodity. This is the day light robbery of tax payers money which is happening even here in Zambia. How long have we been crying for the removal of middlemen in the procurement of petroleum products? An act that will see a significant reduction in the retail price of these products. But it has not happened and it will not happen because someone ‘eats’ from those deals and doesn’t care about the ordinary poor Zambian.
This case is straight-forward but there are these deliberate twists to divert the course of investigations:
? .Who contacted Trans Globe company to be involved in the purchase and transportation of Maize from Zambia to Malawi?
? .Who applied for the permit that was issued to Trans Globe company to buy maize from Zambian government?
? .Who decided to give 50% permit to Trans Globe company and another 50% to ADMARC?
IN THE END IT WILL BE REVEALED THAT CHAPONDA COLLUDED WITH HIS COUNTERPARTS FROM THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT IN FRAMING THIS WHOLE DEAL AND WITH ONLY ONE PURPOSE OF ENRICHING THEMSELVES AT THE EXPENSE OF POOR MALAWIAN TAX-PAYERS.
Judge not a case before its determination.
BELOW IS A POST FROM MALAWI NATION ONLINE (13 Feb 2017 – By: Lucky Mkandawire):
Tayub (Director of Trans Globe) also admitted to have transported its maize into the country (Malawi) without proper documents as it used a Letter of Credit that belonged to Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF).
The development resulted in the Zambian Revenue Authority detaining the trucks at the border for using documents that belonged to another company to transport the maize.
The director (Tayub) further told the Malawi Parliamentary committee that at first he did not know who he was transporting the maize for as he was just told to do so by Zambian Minister of Agriculture (Dora Siliya) and his principal secretary.
Comment: If it was not for NGOs in malawi and our own UPP leader Saviour Chishimba, this issue would have died and buried a long time ago. Papers papers like the Daily Nation whose proprietor is an ex-convict went all out to demonise the Upp leader and called the deal a hoax. Now Chishimba is laughing very loud. Investigative journalism is the in thing before writing off any report.
In Zambia investigative journalism is a thankless task no journalist is willing to do it and will not be supported by any editor…its the same with whistleblowers
This sound’s just that gov to gov deal with RB!!
This is issue is taking us nowhere Edgar is the one who did that maize saga useless president
A Chaponda kodi mwakoka kaponda kapena ungoni? Anyamata a Zambia ndi mbava akudyetsani njomba. Khalani otseguka maso!!
Komatu inu a Pwetete pwe!
Chi Chewa ichi mukulankhula, chasonyedza kuti inu Ku- mawa muli ndi abale ndithu!!
Nda sangalala kwambili ndi chi chewa mwa lankhula apatu!!
Zoona a “Pwetete Pwe” – ichi ndi Chichewa cheni cheni. Chindikumbusa “KODI MULI BWANJI ACHIMWENE?”
yaawn! Have we not found the mole yet! who cares as long as the money went to gov’t and not personal purses.
uuuuuuuko!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mushota is absolutely right.
What are you talking about ba LT? The Malawian commission of inquiry has exonerated Hon Chaponda, and so has the Malawi supreme court. That is why Hon Chaponda is saying that those who had schemed to bring him down have failed. Or have I missed something here? I am just worried about LT falsely raising the voice temperature of our donkeys. However if my understanding is incorrect then I offer to apologise once correct informatio cones my way….ok….?
Lungu should explain his role. These characters told everybody else that they had effected an export ban and yet they allowed one useless company export. Sadly the same company had no capacity and; it’s come back in there ass
I have now the report of the malawi commission of inquiry. It reads much like a story in our Post newspaper, I mean the Past. No substance just innuendos and character assassination like our very own UPNDonkeys and their puppy Mmembe. It urges President APM to refer Hon Chaponda for further investigations. Reason? Because he happened to be in Lusaka when Atlas Globe officials were in Lusaka too! That is their strongest “evidence” in their so called “report”. Then you agree that Malawi has its own share of donkeys, almost identical to UPNDonkeys, same thinking capacity …hiho hiho hiho.
Just wondering, what happened to HH’s petition matters? It must be painful to lose so much money on lawyers only to hit a brick wall. Its not as if we did not warn him, but true to his party he remained stubborn like a UPNDonkey. Just observe how lost HH and his running mate look these days. They are probably lobbying to meet His Excellent President Chagwa Lungu but want him to give them a soft landing. I mean even if you are a donkey surely you cannot continue to fight uselesd battles for 5 years. Chief donkey.
It doesnt matter, mwana, call us names today, you will also with your group, one day be called names.
“Someone shines in a mercedes benz today, I will tomorrow shine in the will be latest car then.We are not even in the position of lobbying, if at all it meant lobbying it will from our Heavenly Father.
@TERRIBLE! It looks as though you just signed off as CHIEF DONKEY! Kikikiik
You mean you don’t know the chief donkey!
…..And his running mate, the only running mate remaining in Zambia?
Sad to observe that some people who call themselves christians use or write bad words against others. Do we fear GOD really?
Remember that angels record what we say and do and the day of reckoning is coming when we shall give an account of what we say or do.
God will judge us regardless of what which political party,nationality or tribe we belong.
Above all, why should i insult someone to prove my patriotism when in actual sense I am sinning against GOD.
I
Guys we are not monkeys. Let us always discus matters at hand. For once let us behave like intellectuals and give guidance where it is needed. If you are rotten in your head don’t bring your face here. Chaponda is a free man has at now until proven guilt. What you should know is all politicians are corrupt people no one is clean. Even these who have just joined the group very soon you will hear stories of theft by public servant so spare yourself from these politicians otherwise you will hurt yourself or die from Bp.
Chaponda was implicated to have played a heavy hand in procurement and as a minister he was not supposed to direct things. By the way his office in Malawi is on fire right now. he is a man of planned coincidences.
@Terrible!! What a terrible chief monkey u are!!! Please go back into the jungle and join your friends swinging in tree branches….kikikiki