ACB heads to Zambia for maize probe
Three Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials are set to leave for Zambia to meet representatives of the Zambian government and Anti-Corruption Commission on the controversial multi-billion kwacha maize import deal.
In an interview yesterday, ACB deputy director general Reyneck Matemba confirmed that a team of three investigators will leave for Zambia soon, but could not provide further information for security reasons.
In a related development, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Agriculture Committee say they will jointly hold public inquiries into the allegations of wrongdoing on the way State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) purchased 100 000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia.
Both chairpersons of PAC Alekeni Menyani and Agriculture Committee Joseph Chidanti Malunga confirmed of the joint inquiry which is expected to start on January 16 2017.
Chidanti Malunga said the two committees were currently doing the groundwork together regarding who is supposed to be called for the public inquiry.
But Menyani said those invited to the public hearing will include Admarc board chairperson, Admarc chief executive officer (CEO) and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development officials.
He said that PAC will among other things also open the Tractor-gate.
“We are, however, worried that governance and oversight institutions are not well coordinated in the fight against corruption in this country raising fears that some of these institutions heads are morally compromised or in cahoots with the looters.
“I am calling on the institutions to initiate a roundtable discussion and come up with a strategic focus that should help the institutions to easily coordinate with each other in our various functions,” Menyani said.
President Peter Mutharika constituted a commission of inquiry to investigate the likely wrongdoing on the purchase of maize from Zambia where the grain company used a middleman and it is expected to give its report to the President on January 31, 2017. n
